Blackwing
by Silver Falcon
Summary: Revenge fuels many things. Lilus Potter is a girl that wants revenge for her parents' murders, but can she save herself from a possibly deadly turmoil within? Can anyone?
1. Lilus

Blackwing  
  
By Silver Falcon  
  
Chapter 1  
  
It was an early day, and Lilus Potter had spent most of her summer morning next to or in the lake. She was tall and streamline, seemingly having the perfect body that would attract any guy's eye. She was wearing a dark green shirt and a pair of blue jean shorts, both soaking wet from her previous swim in the lake. Her long black hair cascaded down her body, sticking to her neck and shoulders. Her skin was a light cream color and shiny with water streaming down it in small droplets. She held perfectly still, finding that she was once again staring into the water's unmoving surface straight at her eyes.  
  
It wasn't her staring back. It never was. For some strange reason, Lilus knew that those eyes did not belong to her, those reddish-brown orbs that were in her head. They weren't her eyes.  
  
She sat perfectly still, letting the small breezes slide back and forth across her skin. It wasn't cold at all, and, in fact, it was getting warmer with each minute that passed. It was probably about ten in the morning, but she had been out since six and wasn't that sure anymore. She welcomed the early morning with opened arms. Lilus had never really been much of a sleeper. One could call her crazy, and she knew that it was not something to be denied. She wasn't normal.  
  
Lilus had grown up in luxury. Her father was the famous Harry Potter, the wizard that had destroyed the Dark Lord Voldemort. Voldemort was just a myth now, something with which witches would threaten their misbehaving children. He had been demoted to an item of mockery and loose threats, nothing more. Her father, though he and her mother Hermione were rich, had gotten her used to Muggle labor since she was young. She never disliked him for it, either. It had given her an incredible shape, and her stamina and endurance were to be envied. Her free time was spent outside or with her friends. She even visited her father's cousin on a few occasions and helped him and his family. Her distant cousin Dudley had gotten diabetes when he was in his late teens, and since then, it had become very hard for him to do some stuff.  
  
Lilus had a knack for cleaning the house. Her parents did their part when it was open. Usually, everything would be clean when they woke up and before they went to bed, so they had to find something to clean while she was away. She loved cleaning, which was another odd thing. Most teenagers hated to clean anything, but she'd probably do something before anyone asked and more.   
  
Her head suddenly left the water and stared into the void of the air in front of her. The Weasley gang was going to visit today, or, rather, she was going to visit them. They filled an entire neighborhood, and it was like her second home. Although she wasn't related to any of them, she still called their parents Mom and Dad. They had grown up together. She had to admit that there were some gorgeous redheads living there, but some of them were too close to be boyfriends or whatnot.  
  
Lilus hadn't known Shawn all her life, unlike the Weasleys'. Shawn had been there since she was young, but there was a ground that separated them where the Weasley gang felt like family. He was such an enigma to her. Their Hogwarts group had adopted him in as Nikodemus. He was very quiet and hardly ever spoke, but when he did, it was with great wisdom. She had so much respect for him.  
  
Her inner self was one unknown to the Weasleys' or Shawn Longbottom. If they knew what she saw at night, what she dreamt about, they would probably want to understand her in a psychotic way. If they knew, what she thought of her eyes...  
  
"You okay?"  
  
The voice belonged to her father, the tall, handsome man that had vanquished the Dark Lord forever. Without turning, she nodded.  
  
"Just...thinking," she whispered, her voice smooth and calm.  
  
Harry sat next to her and adjusted his glasses, looking into the water with her. "About what?"  
  
"Moldy Voldy," she answered, grinning. Her words caused a cheerful laugh to erupt from him. "Just thinking about him."  
  
"Why Voldemort, Lilus?"  
  
Lilus leaned back onto the ground, cradling her neck in her hands, staring at the sky. "Can he ever come back?"  
  
Harry's face grew stern and serious, and his bright green eyes flickered protectively. "Lilus, you know he can never return. If you're afraid of him..."  
  
"I'm not," she said, catching him short of his words. "I'm...just thinking."  
  
"Well, get packed. We're heading over to Ron's in a few hours. We'll be staying over there until school starts, so pack your trunk too."  
  
She nodded. "Done."  
  
She stood up and stretched, carefully trodding up the grass to their cottage on the hill. The house was two stories tall, with her room perched on the second floor with her parents. Her life here had been paradise, and she was eternally greatful to whatever had allowed her father to live during that last battle.  
  
As soon as she opened the back door, a fulfilling smell entered her nose. She smiled and turned to see her mother working at the stove. Her mother and father liked magic, but they also enjoyed the stress relief that came from doing things themselves. Her mother enjoyed her cooking. Behind the great bush of brown hair, she knew there was a skillet with fish inside it. There was only one glorious smell that came from cooked fish.  
  
She walked upstairs, her tall body beginning to grow taller than her mother's and nearing the size of her father's who stood a good 6'2" off the ground. She still had a few inches to grow, considering that she was only 5' 7". Her poor mother was only about five and a quarter feet tall, bushy hair included. As her moist feet clapped against the wooden staircase, her mother turned around.  
  
"Again? Darling, you really shouldn't swim in just a t-shirt and a pair of old shorts. I can buy you something more decent..."  
  
Lilus wheeled around and grabbed one of her arms with the other, smiling awkwardly. "Oh, Mother. You know how I hate bathing suits. This...is really just fine. I...like it better...a lot...?" the hint of confusion in her voice was obvious.  
  
Her mother sighed deeply. "Of course. You take after your father's rugged ways, but unlike him, you have a knack for abandoning your glasses. Where are they?" she said winking.  
  
"Uh, well. Maybe in my room somewhere. Just hope Crookshanks hasn't gotten ahold of the case again." Her mother kissed her on the cheek lightly. Lilus made a hissing noise and wiped it off. "Mom?!"  
  
Hermione laughed. "What? You're still my daughter!"  
  
Lilus continued to scrub her cheek with her hands. "Yeah, but I'm sixteen years old! I'm too old for kisses, Mom!"  
  
"Not until I think you are. Now hurry! Pack and get dressed before you catch cold!"  
  
Lilus was shooed upstairs and into her room, which was decorated with toy Snitches dangling from the ceiling on strings. On the far wall were three rings, each on top of tall posts. Mixed in with the Snitches were cardboard players that she had drawn, including her own father, who was sitting on his broomstick and waving a Snitch high in the air. Her Dad's friend Ron was on another, as well as his twin brothers George and Fred. On the two walls beside the ring wall, were stands packed tightly with sports fans, and each stand had its own emblem. She had played in that same stadium before. She had taken her father's place as Gryffindor Seeker, and she had inherited her lightning reflexes from her father and grandfather. She was acing all of her classes and was actually encouraged to play as much Quidditch as she could. The other teachers thought that she spent all her time studying, but they were so wrong. Her mother would stock her full of notes that she had taken during her school terms, and they helped a lot. Lilus studied them vigorously at school, and never cheated on anything if she could help it.  
  
She smiled. She liked Ron a lot, but Fred and George were just cool. They were teenaged men, probably never to grow out of their prankster phase. They both owned a very successful business in Diagon Alley, and whenever she had some extra spending money (which she earned from her parents for cleaning house) and wasn't saving up for a new broom (which was 99% of the time), she would pay them a visit and buy a few new jokes to play on other people.  
  
Justin, Baker, Diego, Nick, and Charlie were going to be happy to see her again.  
  
She was the leader in their Marauder group. They had enlarged the group quiet a bit, but it was still a tightly woven circle of friends. Shawn was in it two, as well as one of the Weasley girls and a boy that she had met in her first year named Jason. He was an Animagus, someone who could change their form into an animal. His form was that of an eagle, a deep brown bird of pray and very beautiful animal.  
  
She had often wondered what it would be like to fly without a broom. Flying was one of her most favorite activities, and she practiced with the Snitch probably more often than any of the other practiced. Getting on the team was little more than a quiz, since her father had taught her to fly early in her years, and she had played with the Snitch since she was little. It was just a toy for little wizard and witches, but her father had bewitched it to fly around whenever her two-year-old self decided to prod it and throw it in the air. It would never fly away very far, but eventually, she became able to run after it.  
  
Before her father retired from his professional Quidditch position, he was given the Snitch of his last game and was applauded by millions of fans around the world. After she turned twelve, he began to use the same Snitch to train her with, and she no longer had to see it in order to tell that it was close by. Her ears had tuned into the quiet humming of the golden ball's wings, and her eyes were trained to glance in one direction and watch all around it for the sudden flash that would occur.  
  
The Bludgers were what she had problems with. Because she was so talented at catching the Snitch, the Beaters would sometimes attempt to take her out with a "stray" Bludger. She had bruised many a bone this way, and yet, she still couldn't tell whenever she was being followed by the deranged ball. The Slytherin Beaters were especially rough on her. They would tail her throughout the entire game unless their team was losing so bad that even the Snitch couldn't save them. Surprisingly, the Weasleys' were very coordinated during a match, even though it was probably the only time they had any sense.  
  
Walking over to her nightstand, upon which sat a lamp and one of her old school books, she took up her glasses sitting harmlessly on her book titled "The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts." The tassle of her bookmark hung loosely from it, splattering itself over the table.   
  
Her Defense Against the Dark Arts class would be taught by her favorite professor, Remus Lupin, her father's confidant and almost brother. She would visit him a lot, calling him his little nickname Remy. He found it amusing when she was three, so that's what she called him now, but not in class. In class, she called him Professor Lupin like all the others. Snape was by far her cruelest teacher, but her father had told her to be extra nice to him no matter how mean or smart he got with her. She'd even take a little of her broom money and buy him and Remy gifts of candy for Christmas or Holloween, expecting him to think that one of his own Slytherins gave them to him.  
  
Professor Firenze and Professor Trelawney taught their Divination classes, trading out each day. Firenze was probably one of the coolest teachers that she had, but he was second to Remy. Nothing competes with a werewolf, she thought.  
  
Hagrid was another one of her favorite teachers. He always had the coolest things living around his house, which now resembled something like a Muggle petting zoo, but most of the time, he let the animals roam wherever their hearts desired, just as long as they stayed outside and around his house, not running up to the castle. Most of them were calm, placid animals, until provoked by people like Raphael.  
  
As she slid her glasses in the collar of her shirt, she sneered at him. He was such a jerk. He only cared about himself and pushed her Weasley friends around with his gang of rats. He would always leave it be when she showed herself, though. Lilus didn't know why nor did she understand. All she had to do was glare at him in the wrong way, and he'd move out of the way. She had gotten detention a few times for fighting with his right hand girl Marcie, but the shorter girl's wand attacks were no match for her reflexes and jinxs. She had once jinxed her with Locomotor Mortis, a spell that gave her the pleasure of watching Marcie fall flat on her face. She loved it when that happened. Her boys found it amusing too.  
  
Carefully peeling her wet clothes over her head, she dashed into her bathroom and into her shower. Her hair was so annoying, sometimes. After a certain length, it was nearly impossible to brush out. Thank the heavens for mothers. Her mother's old cat Crookshanks was sometimes a pest, though. He made everything his business. His favorite pastime was to creep into her room at some 3 am in the morning and jump on her, scaring her nearly to death. Yet, he was so lovable. He was a good foot warmer, too. That blob of fur was so fat that if he sat down somewhere, he wasn't moving for a while, but he could move when he wanted to. Hedwig was probably her favorite, though. She was an extremely old owl, but she was the most beautiful one that she had ever seen. She was so useful and was Her dad's pride and joy, besides her and Mom. Hedwig didn't visit her room much, she usually stayed on her perch in her parents' room.  
  
Later, as she scanned her closet for some Muggle clothes that she would want to wear, she started thinking about school and Shawn. She hoped that he had some romantic interest in her, but if he did, he was hiding it expertly. She hid hers too, but sometimes, she would drift off into her own little world as her thoughts unearthed themselves from the back of her mind.Because she thought so much, sleeping was very difficult. She would lie awake for hours just staring off into nothing and thinking, trying to figure out the enigmas of the world.  
  
Lilus pulled a green tank top and a pair of shorts from her closet, sliding the doors closed with her foot as she turned around. Fumbling clumsily with her towel, she took the tank top off the hanger and strolled into her bathroom again, almost knocking her lamp off her nightstand. A few minutes later, she came out, squeezing her hair between the towel in her hands and breathing the steamless air around her.   
  
"Lilus, are you decent?" she heard her mother ask from outside the door.  
  
"Yeah, Mother. Come in."  
  
The gold-painted knob turned shakily and clicked when the door opened. Her mother peered inside the room and smiled.  
  
"Need help packing?"  
  
Lilus shook her head, scooping her wand off her school trunk in the corner. It was a sixteen-inch mahogany wand and a real beaut at that. "No, I'll do it in a few minutes. Shouldn't take me too long."  
  
"Well, do you need help brushing your hair?" Her mother said, grabbing the nearby hairbrush and tossing it to her.  
  
She let the towel fall around her shoulders and opened her left hand, recieving the hairbrush in one swift motion. "Maybe later. I'll just..."  
  
"Well, if you need anything, you just say so."  
  
"Of course, Mum," she said with a smile.  
  
Hermione disappeared behind the door, and Lilus listened as her footsteps sauntered down the stairs. She sat on her bed and slid the brush through her hair, her eyes glazing over and staring into void once more.  
  
Raphael suddenly popped into her head. His arrogant blonde hair and blue eyes arranged in the perfect angel look sickened her, and he constantly poked fun of Jason because he was Muggle born. Jason didn't let it bother him too much, but Lilus knew that it hurt him. She scooped some of her school robes out of her dresser and stacked the pile in neatly. She opened the small drawer in her nightstand and took the scarlet box out of its hiding place. She opened it and looked at her reflection in the carefully-polished, sleeping Snitch. Its wings were closed tightly around its body and it vibrated harmonically. She closed the door again and put it between two of her robes.  
  
Following the Snitch were some school books, quills, a case of ink bottles, some of Uncle Fred and George's creations, and a few other things that she forgot the first time. Her trunk was packed tightly and carefully by time she closed and locked it. She sat on top and adjusted her glasses, staring at the floor silently.  
  
She'd be glad to be back with her friends.  
  
All of the Weasley's were around the same age, her age, to be exact. Her dad and Ron had gotten married at about the same time, and Fred and George had kids a good bit after they were married unlike Ron. They wanted the family joke business to stay straight before they got married.  
  
Her favorite out of the boys (although she liked them all) was Justin. He was the eldest of all of the kids, at the grand age of seventeen. If anyone would be her boyfriend out of the Weasleys', it would be him. He was a nice guy, and he played Quidditch with her too. So did Virginia's boys, the twins. Both of them were the Beaters, and they had some sort of twin telepathy between them. It was extremely interesting to watch them bat the ball at someone. Although their aim wasn't short of horrible, they could bat the ball towards the other team, and if they missed, they'd just swat it in their direction again. They would leave the "monkey in the middle" totally clueless. Justin was different. Sure, he was tall and lean and had girls that drooled in his wake, but he was much like Shawn, quiet but thoughtful.   
  
Justin had that same connection to nature that she did. He spent a lot of time outside on his broom, flying up and down the secluded neighborhood that his entire family lived in. It was a vast field surrounded by a forest and a beautiful place. Justin spoke in a suave, deep voice, and it calmed her sometimes.  
  
She was probably the only one that she remotely told about her inner thoughts. He knew very little about her inner self, but he knew plenty about the prankster, sexy beast that she was when she was at school and around them. She acted much like Fred and George did, pulling whatever stunt that she felt like she could get away with. She once fell off her broom and nearly broke her neck. Thank God that tree was there.  
  
Lilus glanced at her clock. It was half past two, and they'd be leaving soon. Lilus rose from her trunk and opened her closet door, poking her hand inside. She felt her fingers wrap around the duffle bag's strap. She pulled it out and unzipped it, tossing it onto her bed. From her open drawers, she removed articles of Muggle clothing and stuffed them into her bag.  
  
She zipped the back and sat down on her bed, drawing her knees up to her chest. There was one thing she was forgetting but what was that? She just couldn't put her finger on it. She sighed and hugged her arms around her knees, shivering slightly. What would happen if she forgot something important? She hated detention, but in a way it felt good to put that Slytherin girl in her place.  
  
The Marauder's Map...  
  
Oh yes, that little trinket that her father had left for her. He knew that she had it, and he knew that she used it. Her dad really didn't mind, but he warned her that if she got into serious trouble, it was her folly. Basically, she could have it if she didn't get caught. She hadn't got caught so far, and the fact that her grandfather once handled it was important to her, since he was gone. She didn't talk to her father about her grandpa much, since she knew that he didn't know him at all. She was glad that she had parents. She couldn't imagine what it would be like if she didn't.  
  
Lilus smiled and walked over to the other side of her bed, kneeling down to remove the small box at the corner of her bed. It was long and dusty after a few months of neglect, but light spread across it when she slid the lid off of the brown box. Inside lay a rolled up piece of parchment. She picked it out and opened it, staring at the map inside.  
  
"Dunno what I would do without you, my friend," she laughed.   
  
She picked the key from the chain around her neck and jabbed it into the lock. She turned the key, and the lid opened. She poked the map on top of her trunk and closed it once more.  
  
There was a knock on her door. "Lilus, are you ready? We need to leave in a few minutes."  
  
"Yeah, I'm ready, Dad," she said, slinging her bag over her shoulder and grabbing the handle of her trunk. She opened the door and pulled the large box out into the hallway.  
  
Her father was looking at her with a unique face that he only showed when she was pulling something that she shouldn't be. She smiled and gave a thumbs up at him. He returned the smile awkwardly, his glasses nearly falling off his nose. He ran his hand through his messy black hair, but it didn't do much damage. She walked back into her room and grabbed her wand from her bed before finally turning her lamp off and leaving her room, closing the door behind her.  
  
She waved her wand and poked it inside her back pocket. "Come on, Father. The boys'll be worried," she chuckled, jumping on the stairrail and sliding down.  
  
Harry could only wonder how someone so young could be like that, but then again, oddities were probably recieved from his side of the family. 


	2. Meet the Weasleys

***Thanks for the reviews, those who did review! :)***  
  
Chapter 2  
  
The family car pulled down the dirt driveway, kicking up clouds of dust behind it. Lilus had been staring out of the window, watching the countryside fly past and being as bored as hell. She was propped up on her right arm, frequently dozing off every few minutes. She couldn't help it. Being cooped up in a car for two hours wasn't fun, and when she wasn't doing something, she had a tendancy to fall asleep. She usually liked riding in the car, but not for two hours with a big ball of fluff spread across her feet. Crookshanks had slept the entire time, and, not wanting to be rude, she hadn't moved her feet from under him. Her mother was so attached to that cat...  
  
Hedwig was on top of the car. She didn't know why he couldn't have just sent her to Ron's house and told her to stay there. Her dad said that she prefered to feel the wind rather than cooped up in the car, so that's why she was outside. Crookshanks annoyed her too much, anyway (Hermione disagreed with this, of course). Lilus finally decided that she would roll her window down. She could hear the joints inside her arm click as she pushed the button to roll the window down. She rested her chin on the edge, letting half her hair stream out of the window.  
  
"Dad, would it be totally impossible if we got my broom out of the trunk? I wanna fly the rest of the way there," she asked, pulling her head back into the car.  
  
Harry adjusted his rear view mirror and looked at her, his green eyes glistening. "Certainly. Let me stop up here, and we'll get it out, okay?"  
  
She grinned and nodded. The Weasleys' were probably playing their own mini game of Quidditch at their house. Wouldn't it be a big surprise if she snatched one of them straight from their brooms? Oh the chaos would be delightful.  
  
She felt the car swirve and come to a stop. Her dad unbuckled himself and opened the door. She practically jumped out of her window, leaving Crookshanks in a forgotten (yet, still sleeping) mass on the floor. Her dad opened the trunk, and she grabbed her broom, which she had stored near the front for just this reason. She swung her legs over it and waved by to her mother.  
  
"See you in a little bit, Daddy," she said, kicking off of the ground.  
  
"Make sure you don't get seen!"  
  
Lilus was already to high up to hear him. She was back on her broom again, a Firebolt 65, one that she had recived for her birthday three years ago, and was now flying through the air at breakneck speed. She was made for speed. She was the Seeker of the Gryffindor team, heir to the Seeker throne and traveling on a road that her father had paved for her. Shawn was the Keeper of the Gryffindor team. That was how they met, at their first game. He was her age and in the same house, but they had never met before then. He had always distanced himself from her. After their first game, she had sheepishly wandered up to him and asked him what his name was.   
  
It was a friendship from Heaven, although she wanted it to be more than a friendship, but she wasn't one to push. She wondered how Kimmy was. She was a perky fifteen-year-old and was one of the more sane of the Weasley group. She was very friendly, even to the Slytherins who constantly poked fun at her. Lilus felt a responsibility for the Weasleys', and she could glare anyone down. She was usually quite placid, but making her mad was not something one dared to do very often.  
  
She wasn't sure if she was in love with Mr. Longbottom, but she knew that it was somewhere close to it. He had captured her heart from day one. It was those gorgeous eyes. It had to be. He had the same color scheme as Raphael, white-blonde hair and bright blue eyes, but his was of innocents, while Rapheal's told a mischievious tale about him. Shawn was just beautiful in an angelic way. She knew that handsome was not the word, because he did not have a tough sense about him, nor did he fit the usual prerequisites of being like Justin or Nick. Cute was too childish for him. Adorable was the same way. He was just...beautiful.  
  
He was a lot different from the other wizards. He had been born while his parents were vacationing in Australia, and he had picked up traces of the accent. He was poked fun of a lot because of that, and that's why he didn't speak a lot, especially in front of other people. He didn't speak a lot anyway, but usually, he had nothing helpful or comforting to say. There was a lot of hurt in his eyes, as well. Eyes were a sort of fetish of hers, an obsession that she was never able to shake fully. She had learned how to see straight into them, to know how the other person was feeling. His pupils were usually very small, which indicated dislike, frustration, and pain beyond words. She knew it was pain because he never looked her in the eyes when he noticed that she was looking at him. He'd turn his head sharply and gasp.  
  
She had touched his shoulder many a time to comfort him, but her touches didn't seem to help. She could only wonder what was wrong, not daring to ask. She just had a sense about these things. Justin did not know that she liked Shawn, but he knew that she had feelings for him. She grew unsteadily silent when he came around, and she just seemed to fall into a trance as her eyes followed him across the room.  
  
Lilus wondered if Justin had put two and two together and figured out that maybe she had more romantic feelings for him than he thought. She hoped he hadn't. She wanted to horse around with the Weasleys' when she got there. Her broom had lost the car a few minutes ago, and she knew it was only a matter of time before she came onto their plantation. She wondered how Molly was. Molly was the grandmother of all the Weasleys', and she told incriminating stories to the grandchildren that they could blackmail their parents with. All the Weasleys' had that devilish mind, even Justin, who was usually very well-behaved. He enjoyed blackmailing his father Ron, but usually his threats were empty, leaving Ron unfooled. Ron did have a respect for his son, though. He usually kept the Weasleys' in line, the key word being usually. He did have a prankster side, and when he felt in the mood for impish delights, the others were all too happy to join in.  
  
Their greatest prank last year was bewitching all the desks to stampede out of the classrooms and parade around the castle, all in one long clutch. It took a good deal of time to round them all up. Of course, the twins, Nick and Charlie, took after Fred and George, because they had to keep the twins thing going in the family and continue the line of pranksters.  
  
Lilus and the Weasleys' had gone into Hogwarts around the same time. Justin went earlier, of course, since he was a year older than them all. Of course, the twins weren't actually Weasleys, they were Thomas's. Aunt Ginny had married Dean Thomas, a man that was the same age as her dad. Uncle Dean was pretty cool, but he wasn't her favorite. He was funny, though.  
  
Lilus found herself flying over the thick forest that was surrounding the Weasley Plantation. It was a very dense forest, but she knew that she was getting close. She probably wasn't fifteen minutes from their house. She'd be there in no time whatsoever. It would be such a delight when she saw them again. All the Weasleys were so much fun.  
  
This was definately going to be the highlight of her summer...  
  
So, she flew along, finally spotting the houses scattered alone the edge of the field. Immediately, she lowered herself into the trees, flying until she landed on a branch that was large enough to hold her.  
  
She could just see them from behind the vegetation of the forest. She spotted at least five of them, and they were buzzing around on their brooms. They were tossing a beachball back and forth to each other, and the pole on the other end of the field with a hoolahoop stuck to it was the goal. She saw Justin hoovering there on his broom, looking very bored and just asking for trouble. Lilus grinned. He'd be the one she pounced on. He was her prey.  
  
She lifted off on her broom once more and flew through the trees, taking good care not to smash into any of them. Justin would definately notice something if she made any kinda of violent movement among the trees. It was a precaution that they had been taught when they were kids. They had sharp hearing, some more than others, but for the most part, they could tell when the trees were shaking strangely.  
  
The dark-haired teenager stopped suddenly, staring up at the handsome face in front of the ring. Something was troubling him too. His eyes had the same sad glaze over them, and the bad thing was that she was this far away from him and could see. It was that same look again. Shawn popped back into her head. Justin usually kept in close contact with him, as did she, but lately, he had refused to send any of her mails back to her. She had been content with sending the Justin and his gang letters, but she still worried about him.  
  
The air in the treetops was moist like it had always been. It was cool, and the slightly chilling air felt good against her skin. Being in the sun for an hour and a half made her hot, but this was definitely some relief. What was the matter with Justin? Was it that he was extremely bored because the twins wouldn't stop trying to run each other off their brooms to score? Might be. Sadness and boredom went into the same category with him. Today, he was probably just hot and bored and miserable.  
  
Maybe she should try to knock one of the twins off. Which one? Nick or Charlie? Well, Nick would probably pounce on her back, which would make it more fun, but if she tried Charlie, Nick would still probably pounce on her. She'd go for Nick. She flew over to the edge of the forest and stared into the sky, watching the twins unconciously edge their way closer and closer to her. Charlie was the closest. Should she fly after him?  
  
Was Charlie well again? Last year he had been the victim of a Slytherin joke that could have killed him. No doubt it had been arranged by Malfoy, but there was no proof that she could snag him in. She knew he hated her, even though he only glared evilly at her when she was in his presence. His goons did most of the taking, and he had about four or five of them, one of them being the girl that she loved beating up. The rest were pretty hulky boys, three times thicker than any of the Weasleys, but they were slow. One of them had once beaten up poor little Casey, the youngest Weasley and Justin's little sister, who at the time was eleven years old and a first year. That pissed Justin off to no end. The thug that had attacked her was ambushed later by the Justin, Baker, and the twins who promptly hexed him until they had used every hex and jinx that they could think of.  
  
The Weasleys were very unforgiving when something like that was done to their own. It was horrible. A bulky fourth year beating up a little girl...It was horendous. Malfoy had no knowledge on that, though. He dismissed that boy for acting without orders a few days after he got out of his five-week detention. Poor Casey. They'd be sticking close to her this year, Lilus herself included. Everyone knew that Casey was the Weasleys' only obvious weakness, but they would turn demonic if someone hurt the baby of the group.  
  
None of them were much of fighters. She knew Muggle fighting almost expertly, since during elementary school she was almost regularly beaten up everyday because of her evil eyes. Of course, after she graduated from 5th grade, she was in Hogwarts like a second home. Remy had been teaching there since she could remember, but she had known him on different occasions other than school. For instance, her birthday parties. He was at almost every one of them. She would call him Grandpa, but she didn't know how that would make her father feel, so she adopted him into her little mental family of Weasleys, Potters, and Remy.  
  
The prank that Charlie had been involved in could have broken his neck and killed him, but he had a good head on his shoulders and remembered how to deal with the gigantic Whomping Willow outside Hogwarts. He didn't have his wand; it had fallen out of his pocket once Malfoy and some of his buddies rode along on brooms and abducted him. They dropped him directly into the Whomping Willow, and had he not of moved quickly, he would have been beaten to mush. They made it seem like he had just fallen off his broom, because they threw his broom close by the tree.   
  
She couldn't pounce on Charlie. She'd have to run Nick over. He'd understand. Lilus crouched low on her broom, her eyes narrowing at the left twin. She could always tell Nick from Charlie, even though it was nearly impossible. Nick's hair had a nasty little habit of sticking slightly outwards on one side, while Charlie's fell completely flat. Nick was circling again, and she sped through the branches, bursting through the forest in a flurry of leaves and twigs. Her heart was pounding so hard that she felt like it'd give any second now, but surprisingly, it just drove her onward.  
  
The sudden outburst caused all the Weasleys to turn in shock and glance in her direction, but by time Nick had turned, she was already half way to him. She threw her arm out and caught him in his chest, and her hand latched itself to his body, pulling him off his broom and onto hers. She felt him hug her tightly but from excitement or fear she wasn't sure. She stopped and twirled around, raising her hand in victory. She could see the family clearly now. Justin was down at the post, but he was racing towards her rather quickly on his broom. Baker flew up next to her, his spikey red hair glistening in the sunlight.  
  
"Lilus, where the hell did you come from!?" he laughed, pointing to Nick's still in shock form. "You scared the pants offa old Nick!"  
  
She turned around and looked into Nick's face. He was panting hard, but he was grinning and giving her a thumbs up.  
  
"Dang, girl. You've been scheming all summer, haven't you?" Nick gasped, trying to regain his composure. "And you didn't invite me at all! Oh, Lil, I'm hurt." She chuckled and flew back down to where his broom was still hovering. She stopped, and he transfered himself over to his own broom, rubbing his head. "You know I'll have to get you later, don't you?"  
  
Lilus nodded and ran her hand through his sweaty hair. No doubt they'd been out there all morning. He smiled, his deep brown eyes twinkling impishly.  
  
"Of course I do, Nicky. That's the entire reason I did that. You should know me better," she cooed, sticking her tongue out at him.  
  
Charlie rose up to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, as did Nick, seeing that she wasn't looking and all. Lilus suddenly felt herself being deprived of breath.  
  
"We've missed you, Lil! Summer's nothing without you!" Charlie said, patting her cheek and letting go.  
  
Nick decided that he was going to attach himself to her shoulders just to annoy her to death. "Nick, curse it all! You little..."  
  
The Thomas twin released her and grinned again. "Hey, that's part of my revenge plan!"  
  
Baker and Justin came over to her. She held her broom steady and stood up on it, stepping onto the end of Justin's broom before sitting down. Justin was quiet, but he hugged her, his beautiful green eyes soft and calm. His strawberry blonde hair was spiked up much like Baker's was, and she could smell the sweat that rolled down his forehead.  
  
"How are you? Where's your dad?" he asked, smiling the sweetest smile that he could muster.  
  
Lilus pointed down the road at the far end of the field. "They're on their way. They let me fly ahead because I've missed all you guys so much."  
  
Baker made an 'aww...how sweet' noise and hugged her from behind. "I didn't know you cared, Lil..." She smiled and touched the top of his head where his quills were. He immediately recoiled, moving backwards with his hands covering his forehead. "Hey! You know da' rules about da' hair, girl! No touching!"  
  
Justin laughed and helped her onto her own broom again. "Shall we go greet our folks?" he said, gesturing his hand down towards the houses. Lilus nodded.  
  
"It's really awesome to see you guys again. And guess what! I'm staying until school starts!"  
  
There was a cheer as the five teenagers flew down to the ground, laughing happily together. The twins were standing next to each other, dressed in blue jean shorts and white t-shirts. Lilus was standing between Justin and Baker, chittering on about what had happened to her that summer.  
  
"I swear that cat's possessed," she said, running her hand through her hair. "He delights in torturing me, and Mother loves him to death!"  
  
"Crookshanks doesn't like Dad," Justin said. "Dad doesn't like him either. I wonder why..."  
  
They walked down the dirt road with brooms in hand, until they came to the first house on the right. Ron, Lilus knew, lived there with his wife Amber, a lovely brunette. Ron had met her shortly out of school, and after dating a few years, they decided to get married. Justin was their first born, and Casey was their second. Casey was such a sweet little girl. She was so adorable with her big green eyes.  
  
"How's Casey?" she asked, turning her head to look at Justin.  
  
Justin had apparently been staring off into space, oblivious to what was going on around him. "Hmm?" he asked, his head snapping up to look at her.  
  
"How's your sister?" Lilus repeated.  
  
"Oh, she's fine. Dad got her a kitten when she came home because she was doing good in her classes. Forgot to mention that in my mails. It's a little, gray ball of fuzz that likes to chew up my socks. He's so cute that it's impossible to scold him in any manner possible," he said with a confused expression on his face.  
  
"Oh, how cute. What's its name?"  
  
"Babisbay," Justin said, a loud chuckle erupting from his usually quiet self. "I have no idea where she got that name, either..."  
  
"Babisbay. That's original."  
  
Baker nodded. "Yeah. Casey never puts him down. I wouldn't be surprised if he's forgotten to walk."  
  
Lilus suddenly noticed that the twins were missing. She stopped and glanced down the road, but they were no where to be found. "Where'd Charlie and Nick..."  
  
"Home, probably to wash up, which is what I should do. I'll tell Kimmy and Diego that you're here, okay?" Baker said, saluting her mockingly.  
  
Not that it would be a problem for him. Kimmy was his little sister, and well, Diego was Fred's only child and their neighbor. Fred and George lived in houses next to each other with everything inside exactly alike just to confuse people even more. Baker jumped on his broom and zoomed off down the dirt road. Justin led her quietly up to his house and turned the knob.  
  
"Mum? Dad? Lilus is here!"  
  
There was no answer, so both of the teenagers went upstairs. Ron and Amber were probably over at Virginia's house, trying to prepare a big meal for Harry and Hermione's arrival. It was something of a family reunion, and everyone would get really excited. They'd bribe their parents into showing them tricks that they'd learned in Quidditch, and Harry and Ron, and the twins would face off against their teenaged counterparts. Lilus was not as good as her father, but she definately had more tricks to show off than he did.  
  
Justin walked into his room and pulled off his white wife beater before throwing it onto the floor and sitting in a chair. Lilus sat on his bed and laughed.  
  
"Stipping party! Woooo! Go, Justin! Flex those muscles!" she urged, toppling over from laughter.  
  
Justin looked at her and proudly flexed his Quidditch muscles before slumping back in the chair. "Casey should be around here somewhere. Go find her while I take a shower, kay?"  
  
Lilus stood up and stretched. "Okay, you sexy beast you. Don't make the mirror jealous!"  
  
She walked out of his room and closed the door. She loved to kid with him like that. He had a good form, but that was normal when you were a Weasley. There was always someone to roughhouse with, there was always something to do. As Lilus stepped down stairs, she collapsed and sat on the bottom step. She leaned her head against the railing and stared at the wall, inspecting it carefully. It was a beautiful shade of green with yellow stripes. Everyone knew that Amber had a major hand in the color schemes of her home because Ron was a total friz when it came to colors and decoration. Unless of course the celebration was for a Quidditch match. Then he'd rule over all. Ron and his twin brothers were the kinds of Quidditch in the family, and no one questioned their motives.  
  
Partially because everyone thought they were insane.  
  
Which they were...  
  
Her dad would prolly be here in a few minutes. Lilus stood up and set out to look for Casey. She called her name softly and looked in her room, which was on the lower floor of the house beside the kitchen. Casey was inside just as she had anticipated, and she was playing with a large kitten on the floor. It wasn't large width-wise but it was...big. Probably from growing.  
  
"Hey, Casey! How are you?" she said, leaning calmly against the door frame.  
  
The little brown-haired girl looked up and smiled. "Lil!"  
  
She jumped up and ran to hug her. Lilus scooped the little girl into her arms and swung her around.  
  
"How've you been? Is he the little kitten Justin was talking to me about?" she asked, nodding her head to the confused cat in the floor.  
  
Casey nodded vigorously and slid out of Lilus' arms. She looked so cute in the summer dress that her mother had made her. It was white with no sleeves and an orange flower on the front. The little girl plucked the kitten from the floor and held him in her arms carefully, before transfering him to Lilus. The little creature felt soft under her fingers, and its body began to vibrate as it nuzzled her hand.  
  
"His name is Babisbay!" Casey announced.  
  
There was a sound outside, and Lilus handed the kitten back to Casey.  
  
"Stay here," she ordered firmly.  
  
"It's just your mum and dad. Remember? The car squeaks loudly when the passenger door's opened?"  
  
True, there had been a squeak. Her parents were finally here. Now the party could begin. 


	3. Showdown

***Thanks for the reviews!***  
  
Chapter 3  
  
The arrival of Lilus' parents made a few different things happen. For one, Ron burst out of whatever house he had been in and nearly killed Harry and Hermione by jumping on them and smothering them with hugs, while they did the same. All the teenagers, Kimmy, Casey, and Diego included, banded together in their own little ring and started to talk about the summer.   
  
Diego was Fred's only child. Fred had a nasty divorce with his wife four years ago when Diego was eleven. Diego's mother, Carrie, gave up her parental rights for him, so now he just lived with his father. He was fifteen now and a bundle of mischief to boot. Since he had no mother to calm him down, and God knows that Fred is just as rowdy as his son, he was the worst of the pranksters. Fred shared all his secrets with his boy, from knowledge about the secret passages of Hogwarts to how to hide dungbombs from Argus Filch. Diego looked much like the other Weasley boys, having red hair and brown eyes, but his hair had never been cut, and he always had it tied back in a ponytail. He had an innocent face that even Severus Snape would love (he learned it from Fred). Unfortunately for Diego, Snape knew he came from a line of pranksters and was not fooled by his look of pure innocence.  
  
Kim or Kimmy Weasley was Baker's little sister by one year. She and Diego hung out a lot, and a little of him rubbed of on her. When Lilus arrived, they had both been in Diego's house, where Kimmy was teaching him how to cook (neither Fred nor Diego knew how to cook very well even with magic).  
  
"And then she swooped behind Nick and snatched him clean off his broom! It was genius! It scared poor Nick to...," Baker said, his eyes as big as his mouth.  
  
"Did not!" Nick countered. "She just surprised me! It's not everyday that your godcousin flies helterskelter from the forest to plow straight into you!"  
  
Godcousin. Ever since her dad found out about Sirius and married Hermione, Ron and his sister Virginia had become godparents to Lilus. He trusted Fred and George, but he just felt that Ron and Ginny would understand him more.  
  
"She just surprised you into nearly wetting yourself!" Baker laughed. "Wittle Nicky Poo isn't potty twained yet. Awwww..."  
  
Nick lunged at his cousin, and the two wrestled on the ground, getting dirtier by the minute.  
  
"Boys, stop! You're getting filty, and we haven't even begun!" Lilus barked, as she and Justin pulled the cousins apart.  
  
"Aww...come on. Lil, we were just having fun..."  
  
Diego stood by Kimmy, his hands angelically folded in front of him. His deep brown eyes were glancing skyward, and it was this look that hinted off to everyone that he was about to do something that they'd regret. Kimmy knew this too, and she was acting very bold to stand that close to him. For a while, Lilus just stared at him, then decided that he was just bluffing. That kid was insane and loving it.  
  
Lilus left her group of buddies and walked over to the adults. She watched her father make strange hand speech, flying his right hand around like a plane before slamming it into his left.  
  
"Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!" she whined. "When's the fun gonna start!?"  
  
Harry whirled around and grinned his usual awkward grin. "Well, let me talk to Ron for a few more minutes, and then we'll play a little Quidditch."  
  
Hermione stopped him. "Oh, no you don't! You aren't coming into dinner smelling like sweat and dust. Surely you can go inside and play chess for a while, but no Quidditch!"  
  
By time Hermione stopped talking, Harry's face was distorted in a painful expression, as was Ron's. Lilus stood there, looking very bored and agitated.  
  
"Mom, come on. Dad's been cooped up in a car all day. Look at that pitiful face. He needs to be free!" Seeing that her mindless chatter was not convincing her mother, she hastily added, "And me and the boys will do the dishes after dinner."  
  
Hermione smiled and nodded. "Okay, deal. But if you smell, you eat outside!"  
  
Lilus flashed a thumbs up behind her back and backed up slowly. "Thanks, Mom."  
  
She grabbed her Dad and Ron's wrist and pulled them to the group of teenagers, hearing her mother mutter something about finally having a good time.  
  
"Diego, Baker, go get your dads. Tell them that we're having a Quidditch match as soon as they get out here," Lilus growled to the two boys. Immediately their faces lit up, and they were off in a hurry to go fetch their fathers, who were probably plotting the downfall of some of their old school friends. "Guys, Mom said that we could play Quidditch, but we have to eat dinner outside, and we have to do the dishes."  
  
There was a cheer at the word Quidditch, but everyone began to sulk at the word dishes. Baker and Diego rushed out of their houses with their brooms, their dad's close behind them.  
  
"Quidditch? Oh, Harry! I didn't know you arrived! How's the hero!" George said hearily, beating his hand against Harry's back. "Hey, Hermione! How's the family?"  
  
"Great, George. Thanks for asking," came her mother's reply.  
  
A brown-haired woman walked out of Fred's house, then rushed over to Hermione, throwing her arms around her. Jordan, Baker and Kimmy's mother, was a pale and tall creature with elegance that none of them had. Lilus watched the two women disappear into the same house, probably to help Amber with the cooking.  
  
"Be right back, Dad. I'm off to get our Snitch," Lilus said, before Nick grabbed her arm.  
  
"Perfect idea, Lil. Before we start playing, let's see who's better at Seeker, you or your father," he said, his lips curling into a menacing smile.  
  
Lilus turned her head and looked at her father, who had the same devilish grin on his face. She adjusted her glasses and returned the expression.  
  
"Dad, you're on," she said, walking over to the car.  
  
She undid the trunk and unlocked her luggage with the key around her neck and dug her arm into it, reaching into the space where she put the red box with the Snitch. She pulled the small ball out of it and handed it to Ron. He gripped it tightly, and she mounted her broom. Harry rushed to the car and snatched his broom out of the backseat before joining them once more. Everyone else but Ron did the same, causing Lilus and Harry to look at them.  
  
"For diversion," Fred and George said, the evil smile still upon them.  
  
Harry and Lilus rose into the sky, never unlocking their eyes from each other.   
  
"Will the pupil tower over the master, or will the master keep his place?" Harry whispered.  
  
Lilus' eyes glistened dangerously. "Pupil's gonna bomb the master, Dad."  
  
The Weasleys rose up around them, ready to zoom in front of them at any moment in time. Of course, this would be nothing for Lilus because the Beaters on Slytherin would constantly burden her with threats of mowing her down with Bludgers, yet there were move people on her deversion side than her dad's.  
  
"Ready?" Ron called from below. "Go!"  
  
He threw the tiny Snitch in the air, and to no one's surprise, Harry and Lilus didn't even bother to sneak a glance at it. They flew upwards and distanced themselves, staring downwards onto the field.  
  
All the absentminded critisism and noise was immediately blocked out of her head. It was a reflex to ignore the cries of the stadium. It was a reflex to avoid an angry Beater and the Bludger coming her way. Everything had a reflex against it in Quidditch except for three things. There was no reflex against the whistle or falling. There was no reflex against the Snitch.   
  
She dove, spotting the faint flash below, then stopped, knowing that her father would follow her if he had not seen it. She waited more, and suddenly, Harry flew into another direction. She drove her broom upwards, hearing the ever so faint humming sound. Baker flew in front of her to try and cut her off, but she flew under him and continued. Harry spotted the Snitch and was closing in on it. This was a bad thing. Lilus had not seen it yet, but she could hear it vaguely. Harry had spotted it, and he was after his obsession. The twins flew up along side her, Fred and George. They flew in front of her and crisscrossed, cutting her off. She shoved past them and followed the sound. She saw her father turn and felt something buzz by her cheek. She instinctively raised her hand, but it was a second too late.  
  
"Almost," Fred cooed.  
  
Lilis veered around again and spotted it. Harry was coming on her fast, but she was fast enough to catch the little bugger before he could, even on his newer broom. She held onto the end of her broom and stretched her arm out as far as it would go. Diego suddenly shot up infront of her, sending her flying off to one side and nearly knocking her off the broom. At once she was on the path of it again, but her father was a lot closer than she would have wanted. With her heart beating in her throat, she felt her chest begin to hurt with anticipation. She flipped upside down with her legs entangled around the broomstick and flew under her father, arm outstretched.   
  
The closeness of it was unreal. She had been in this situation many times during her second year, when she was allowed to try out for the Quidditch team. She played one on one with a Seeker of her year, a Ravenclaw or Slytherin. The stunt that she was pulling now wasn't a very intelligent one, and she had done better. It made the blood rush to her head, and it would make her extremely dizzy. It wasn't often that she fainted after games, but it had happened before. Of course, her Weasley friends were the only ones that knew about it. Shawn did too of course, with him being on the Gryffindor team and all.  
  
They were the Mauraders, Shawn, Justin, Jason, and she. Kimmy was almost a Maurader, but she had yet to show the final sign, and there was no pushing a matter as important as that. It was odd though. Although, she was the leader of the Maurader pack, she was the only one without a special name. Nikodemus was Shawn. Justin was Angelfeather. Jason was Talon, and Kimmy was going with Hitspos for some odd reason. She had not thought of a name in the entire creation of the Mauraders.  
  
She missed Jason tremendously. She loved his accent. He was from America, whereas she was from England. He sounded so funny sometimes and used slang terms that she didn't always understand. Of course, he didn't understand a lot of their slang, either. He had moved from America to England when he was nine, but the accent still hung. It was kind of adorable listening to him talk to girls. He'd try to impress them, and they'd only giggle because of the way he sounded. Poor fellow. He had never had a date to anything. But after he had been taken into the group, he didn't really much mind anymore. He was more about scheming and pranks.   
  
She could feel the blood began to rush to her head. Her father's hand was almost on the Snitch, but it darted in another direction and flew away. Harry followed it, and she followed right under her father, stretching her arm out for the prize. She felt lightheaded and knew that this was the time to right herself. She twirled out from under Harry and rode upright for a while. Diego and Baker sided her, trying to knock her off her broom. She stopped and turned in another direction. Harry suddenly stopped and looked around. That's the bad thing about those Professional Snitches. They're much harder to catch than the ones that were at school. She heard the humming and knew it was close, but she wasn't sure how close it was. She looked above her and all around her, but there was no Snitch.  
  
"Where'd it go?" she heard Justin ask.  
  
"Geez, did you both lose it!?" Fred said as bored as he could.  
  
Lilus looked below here, and there it was, hoovering probably ten feet off the ground. She smiled and dropped straight down, reaching her arm out to grab the flitting ball of gold. At last, she felt satisfied as her fingers curled around the sphere.  
  
'Eat this, Dad.'  
  
*****************************************  
  
The train bell rang, breaking the commotion with its shrill whistle. Going back to Hogwarts was one of her favorite days of the year. She'd miss her parents, but they'd be there at Christmas with open arms. All of her luggage was loaded up, and she had watched her parents take their places beside Ron, Ginny, Fred, and George. She waved to all of them, smiling at them from her window seat on the train. The Weasleys were going to stay a week with her during the vacation, and oh the chaos. Her mother would probably make them all camp outside because of the noise.  
  
Kimmy plopped down in the seat next to her and sighed, rubbing her hand over her forehead. Lilus turned to stare at her. She was so pretty with her red hair and brown eyes. The boys had told Lilus that she was pretty, but she also knew they meant in a deep, dark, mysterious way. Who could like a girl with red eyes? Sure, they were brown too, but lately, the red had been showing. What was it with her eyes!?  
  
"Something wrong?" Kimmy asked, gently prodding her shoulder with her finger. "You're unusually quiet."  
  
Lilus shook her head. "Just thinking."  
  
"About what?" she countered.  
  
"Shawn," she answered.  
  
Kimmy knew that she had a little crush on Shawn, and Shawn had been very hesitant to show any kind of closer-than-friends emotion towards her. Kimmy frowned sadly and patted her shoulder.   
  
"Don't worry. He'll come around," she said softly.  
  
"Actually, I think he's lost interest."  
  
Kimmy shook her head. "He cares about you."  
  
"Just like Justin, your brother, and all the other crazy boys you live with," Lilus smirked.  
  
There was a knock on the door and Casey peered in, a big grin plastered to her face. Kimmy and Lilus smiled, and the little girl came in.  
  
"Are you nervous, Casey?" both teenagers asked.  
  
Casey nodded and hugged her almost grown kitten to her chest. "Yeah. Just...you know...about what happened last year."  
  
Kimmy shook her head. "Casey, we won't let that happen. Justin and the boys took care of him so good that he'll be kissing your feet when you walk by. If anyone hurts you...you just tell us, okay? But we're going to try as hard as we can to make sure that doesn't happen."  
  
Casey nodded and stared out of the window. She scooted over to it and waved at her father. He waved back and blew her a kiss. She smiled and raised her kitten to the glass. Ron did the same goodbye kiss for the Babisbay, and she put him down. Kimmy resumed their conversation.  
  
"Shawn likes you more than that, Lilus. You know that. Maybe he's just shy."  
  
"Maybe I should go with Jason," she said.  
  
Kimmy laughed. "Jason? Jason's girl retarded, though. You can do better than Jason. I mean, think about this. Would you want Jason fathering your children?" Lilus gave her an awkward glare. "See what I mean? Shawn's the one for you. He's just shy."  
  
"Whatever, Kimmy."  
  
And that's when he appeared in the doorway. Shawn opened the door slightly and let himself in.  
  
"M...Mind if I sit...here?" he asked, blushing to be asking to sit with a lot of girls.  
  
Nikodemus wasn't a bad guy. He was like Justin, but he wasn't so much of a prankster as Angelfeather was. But, today, for some reason, Lilus didn't feel like she wanted to be around him. Usually, she wanted to be, but he had not responded to any of her mail and that hurt. He just didn't seem to be interested in a demonic-looking female. Come to think of it, he looked at Kimmy with more emotion than he looked at her. She just didn't feel the need to be around someone who she was almost constantly thinking about when he didn't even return half of it.   
  
"I'll be right back," Lilus said, standing up and grabbing the bundle that held her robes in it. "I have to go see Angelfeather."  
  
She scooted past Shawn who took a seat next to Casey and seemed to be focused on the kitten that the little girl was showing to him. He took Babisbay and stroaked his back softly. Before she closed the door, she heard Casey mention something about wanting a secret name too, just like her big brother. She walked down the narrow hallway, sliding past first years and seventh years and all the years inbetween. It was especially crowded in the ten minutes before the train took off.  
  
The giggling drone was blocked out of her head as she began to think about school and seeing her godfather (grandfather more like it) Remus Lupin. She missed him, and she'd enjoy being in his class again. Professor McGonagall was another face she missed. The Headmistress was very strict, but Lilus liked her nonetheless. Snape wasn't exactly someone she missed, but she had saved up three Galleons just for Snape's treats that year.  
  
She brushed past some blonde boy a little harder than she probably should have, but she figured that he wouldn't mind. She was wrong.  
  
"Watch it, brat!" he yelled.  
  
She turned around and stared at him, completely unfazed.  
  
"What did you call me?" she asked, determined to turn his insult around on him.  
  
"A brat that's so selfishly hogging floorspace. Why? Are you deaf too?"  
  
He had a French accent. He was blonde and green-eyed and had Slytherin written all over his face. He stood a few inches taller than she did and was already in his fancy black dress robes.  
  
"Well, I was just wondering why someone of such high stature--from the looks of it, anyway--would use the word brat. What's wrong? Don't you have a good vocabulary? Couldn't think of anything better?"  
  
The French boy clenched his fists and glared at her. "You little wench!"  
  
"Getting warmer but no cheese," she replied. "Look, while you figure out what word to use, I 'm going to go find my friends. I apologize for bumping into you."  
  
She walked away and ignored his threats. She knew which compartment Justin would be in. He was always in the same one. She turned the knob and walked in, spying a certain brown-haired, blue-eyed American sitting just across from Angelfeather. Justin was still dressed in his red t-shirt and bluejeans from that morning. Jason was wearing a blue shirt with an orange vest and bluejeans, along with the humongous, clunky combat boots that he adored so much. Jason jumped up and wrapped his arms around her before she could react.  
  
"Lil! How are you! I missed you so much, chica!" he said in his deep-toned, handsome voice.  
  
Lilus adored his accent. "Jason! I've been great! When did you get here?"  
  
He put her down and sat next to Justin, who was smiling widely. "Oh, I just got here. Found Justin and stuck. Summer's been great!"  
  
"Yeah," Lilus said, sitting down across from him.  
  
She must of looked depressed or something, because Justin gave her the "what's-the-matter" look. She ignored it and turned to look out the window as the train began to move.  
  
"Something wrong?" Jason asked.  
  
It must be really obvious if Jason knew something wasn't right. Jason didn't exactly know about her crush on Shawn though.  
  
"Just...boy problems," she answered, hoping that Justin would catch her drift.  
  
"Is someone picking on you, because if they are, I'll bea..."  
  
"No. No one's picking on me. Like anyone could," she said with a smirk.  
  
Jason sat next to her and patted her back. "That's mah girl! Undefeatable and lookin' good!"  
  
She LOVED his accent. He was so cheerful. She just couldn't be depressed around Jason. Justin caught the drift because he mouthed 'Nikodemus' to her. She nodded.  
  
Jason took his bag off of the shelf overhead and pulled an irritated black cat out of the bookbag.  
  
"Jason! You're not supposed to put your cat in a bookbag!" Lilus screeched, grabbing the poor creature from him and petting it.  
  
"Oh, gimme a break! Boba loves it!"  
  
Justin looked confused. "Boba? You finally found a name for your cat, and you name it Boba? I think that might be worse than Babisbay."  
  
Jason looked offended and humored at the same time. "Don't tell me you've never heard Boba before."  
  
Justin shook his head. "Never."  
  
"Man, you need to watch Star Wars. Live a little!" Jason said, sitting next to Lilus and taking his cat.  
  
Lilus laughed. She had seen Star Wars, and she thought it highly interesting. She found herself nearly laughing to death at the part with the small teddy bears.  
  
"What did you do over the summer?"  
  
"Well, we went back to the US of A and went to Hawaii to do a little surfing for a few weeks. Then we went over to Florida and stayed for about three weeks before coming back here. It was an awesome summer. What about you two?"  
  
"Just been around. Swimming a lot."  
  
"That's cool. What about you Angelfeather?"  
  
Justin closed his eyes tightly, as if thinking hard. He opened them and grinned.  
  
"Family reunion."  
  
That was probably the high point of her summer too. Justin sat suavely in his seat, staring out of the window as the scenery rushed past. Lilus did the same, while Jason was humming a song to himself and dangling a stuffed mouse in front of his cat's nose. Lilus stared at the window, not outside it, at it, at her reflection. Her eyes had turned brown again. Good. She didn't look demonic anymore. Jason was a nice guy, but sometimes, he could get a little rough. She didn't know what kind of boyfriend he'd be, but at the moment, she really didn't care. She was fed up with her pursuit on Shawn. If he wanted her to be his girlfriend, then he'd have to start doing a little on his part. She was finished.  
  
The train chugged its way down the tracks, and soon, Lilus felt herself falling asleep against the window pane. 


	4. Justin and Jason

***Thanks a million Ay and ki master. It should fall into place nicely.***  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Hogwarts. Her home away from home. She was entering her sixth year, and she was determined to make it a good one. Hopefully, by the end, she'd have a boyfriend as well. She had no clue why that was all of a sudden so important to her, but it was. She just wanted to feel loved. She had never dated before, because all the boys were afraid of her eyes. They were afraid because she looked evil. No one understood.  
  
By time they had arrived at Hogwarts, she had changed into her dress robes and had been eagerly awaiting release from the train. Now, just a few minutes later, she was standing out in the warm night air, staring at the starlit sky. It was a half-moon, and she knew that in a few weeks time, Remy would be changing into his vicious self. It was a very beautiful night out. It truely was.   
  
"It's tha' youngest Pott'r yet! How are yah, Lilus?" she heard a great voice boom behind her.  
  
She turned around, only to be swept into the biggest hug she'd had so far by Hagrid, the Gamekeeper and Professor of the Care of Magical Creatures class. She hugged him back happily.  
  
"I'm perfectly well, Hagrid. How's Olympe?" she asked.  
  
Hagrid and Olympe had gotten married a few years before she was born. They had no children, although Olympe wanted two, and they lived in a nice-sized house next to the Forbidden Forest. She was a really nice woman. Lilus liked her a lot.  
  
"She's good, she's good. How's 'Arry and 'Ermione?"  
  
"They're great! I'm going to go back this Christmas to see them," she said, patting him on the arm.  
  
"That's good. Er...well. Get on with yah. I gots a lot more kids to 'erd into places. Come see me in a few days, okay?"  
  
"Okay!" she said as she watched the giant of a man walk away through the crowd of kids.  
  
She had lost Justin and Jason in the escape of the train. She'd meet up with them later most definitely. It was so warm out. It felt good. She saw a familiar face pass by her. Shawn. She pretended not to notice as he walked by. He looked at her, but he kept walking. Kimmy and Casey were attached to his arms, with Casey's cat in her arms.  
  
"That's her, Raphael. That's the bitch that was so rude on the train," she heard the annoying French accent behind her and didn't bother to turn around. "What do you suppose we do about her?"  
  
"Alexander, you really shouldn't be picking on girls, even if they are the spawn of mudbloods and in Gryffindor house. It just isn't good for your reputation unless she has bodyguards, which as you should note, are obviously absent," she heard Raphael say in his dangerous but handsome voice.  
  
Handsome was not a word that she usually used to describe Raphael. Was she so desperate to get a boy that she was dreaming about the man that picked on her friends constantly and picked on her behind her back? But still...how did he know the French prick? He wasn't French. Although they looked similar, the French guy was just evil. She could smell the egotistical stench flying off him.  
  
"What shall we do to her first? Catch her in some horrible prank? Shall we incriminate her with false evidence?"  
  
"I really wish you'd be quiet. School hasn't even officially begun yet. Wait a week or two."  
  
"You're just procrastinating. I'd say we should arrange a nice feat in the dungeon, but then again, that might be moving too quick."  
  
"Quiet. Don't talk about such matters, especially not about that shedevil there."  
  
"Shedevil?" his friend seemed interested.  
  
"She's got the strength of a full grown man. She's not a pushover, but she can't seem to find out what Bludgers are during the good game."  
  
"She plays? I wasn't aware that she had that sort of hand-eye coordination. The way she ran into me on the train was so clumsey."  
  
"Alex, shut up. You keep getting louder and louder. If she hears you..."  
  
"She's just a girl. I play Quidditch as well, cousin. I wonder what position I shall pick this year."  
  
They were cousins. She'd rather die than to be related to a prick like that. It was sickening.  
  
"She's the Seeker of the Gryffindor team. She's damn good at it too! Since she joined the team, Gryffindor's only lost two games, both against Slytherin."  
  
"Why is that?"  
  
"Because our Beaters knocked her out with a Bludger. I'm the Slytherin Seeker, and that woman is faster than she ought to be."  
  
"Maybe it is your time to step down, Raphael, and let a new Slytherin shine."  
  
"I am not giving up my position to you, Alex. I don't care what you do."  
  
At that point, their chatter mixed in with the others. She walked forward and disappeared in the crowd of people heading towards the docks. She took her place in one of the horseless carriages and waited until it was full. The carriage took off towards the castle, while the little first years slowly drifted across the lake like little fireflies. It was a very peaceful and calming ride.  
  
In the Great Hall, she reunited with Jason and the Weasleys, and they all sat together on the table. Shawn sat across from her, and she wanted to move, but she didn't want to seem rude again. She sat with her hands folded in a prayer-like manner, and her eyes staring at her empty plate. Jason sat on one side of her, looking adorable in his little pointed hat and robes. Justin looked strong and silent from her other side and was staring at his plate as well, probably hungrier than he had ever been.  
  
"Shawn bothering you?" he asked in such a way that it made her strain to hear him.  
  
"Sort of. You...know that I like him. I just feel like he's not interested at all. But then again, who would be interested in a girl with demon eyes," she whispered back, leaning slightly in his direction so he could hear her.  
  
"You don't have demon eyes, Lil. You've got pretty eyes," he answered.  
  
"Everyone keeps saying that I'm pretty but no one is willing to eat what they cook," she said, hiding her eyes under the hand visor.  
  
She felt Justin's hand pat her leg. "I was willing to before I realized that you were my godsister. Maybe Shawn isn't the right one for you. You need someone who'd risk anything for you. You'll find Mr. Right one day, and he'll think your eyes are perfect."  
  
"People think I'm a demon. I heard a boy talk about me. Shedevil."  
  
Justin patted her leg with one firm smack. It was his way of getting her attention when she said something that she shouldn't have. "I won't stand to listen to you talk about yourself like that. You're a near perfect woman. You have the reflexes of an I-don't-know-what, a body that every girl dreams of, intelligence beyond comprehension, and hey, you're the only Gryffindor to have made peace with Snape. You're gonna have to beat the guys off of you. You just have to wait."  
  
"Wait. I've waited for six years, and nothing's happened. How much longer?"  
  
"I don't know, but it's going to come slower if you keep whining over it."  
  
"I'm not whining," she countered. "I'm just...impatient."  
  
"Why do you all of a sudden want a boyfriend? Just because Shawn doesn't like you?"  
  
"Because maybe I've never had one before and most sixth years have had a million of them. What's wrong with me?"  
  
"Nothing's wrong with you. You just haven't found the right one yet."  
  
"Whatever. I just can't wait to eat food. All those sweets are really starting to get to me."  
  
"Oh no. I don't need you on a sugar high the first night," Justin said aloud, elbowing her gently in the side.  
  
She laughed and elbowed him back. "Then they'd better hurry up with that food. I'm about to eat my plate!"  
  
She spied her favorite teacher at one end of the teachers' table. Remus Lupin sat with his hands placidly in front of him. His hair was a grayish brown, and it went down his back in a graceful cascade. His eyes were staring at the many faces in the crowd, and she sent a small wave in his direction. He smiled and winked at her before scanning the rest of the Great Hall with his stone gray stare. Snape was at the other end, staring off into space. She'd have to remember those three Galleons. She might have to hint off who the surprises were coming from that year. She glanced over at the Slytherin table. She saw the French prick sitting next to Raphael, chatting to thin air, so it seemed. Raphael, however, was staring directly at her, the deadly shine in his eyes having returned. He grinned and licked his lips in plain sight.  
  
She was NOT, under any circumstance, THAT desperate for a boyfriend. He was just pushing her buttons, anyway. He love to annoy her like this, especially during meals. This year, she'd make sure that he wouldn't faze her.  
  
She winked at him and made a kissing motion. Raphael looked as if he had suddenly been struck dumb. Needless to say, he didn't look at her any more during the celebration, and she finally recieved the feast that she had been looking forward to. Turkey, chicken, mashed potatoes, yum yum yum.  
  
The Common Room was just as she had remembered it. Very red and very gold. She made her way up to the girls' half of the sleeping chambers and found the one that had her trunk in it. She recognized the trunk of one of her not so good friends Lindsey. Lindsey was cool, but usually, she hung out with Jason, Shawn, the twins, and Baker during her classes. Lindsey was always talking to her best friend Anna about girl things like clothes that Lilus didn't like, boys that had questionable sanity, sex that Lilus didn't want to hear about, or something else that was just totally or almost repulsive. She opened the trunk and unpacked, pulling the Snitch and Marauders' Map out first and hiding them safely in her drawer.  
  
She packed her school bag with her summer homework and books and everything else that she'd need for the next day's classes, promptly jumped on her bed, and stared off into space, enjoying her privacy while it lasted.  
  
It was quiet with a hint of chaos outside the door. Lilus closed her eyes and probably would have fallen asleep on her full stomach had she not been so excited. It was a quiet (or almost quiet. Jason had insisted on telling them every stitch of detail about Star Wars that he knew about.) trip here, and now it was a quiet time to rest. It was cooler in the room than it was outside, and it felt so good. Jason hadn't been very talkative after supper, but she knew he was probably thinking about school terrors like Snape and Raphael, not to mention he too had a nasty run in with the French prick. Last year, the abuse that he kept recieving from Malfoy became so horrible that he broke down in front of her while they were talking about it. Poor guy. This year would be different. There was something in that gaze that Raphael Malfoy had given to her. She didn't get a clear examination of what it was, but she'd find out soon enough. She had Potions with him. First class. It was too early to have Potions that early. That wasn't right. Students weren't required to think that early in the morning were they?  
  
Nikodemus, Nikodemus, Nikodemus. No matter how hard she tried, she still wanted to be his. He was angelic. Who wouldn't want an angelic boyfriend? But Lilus sensed that he had come to their compartment that day to sit with Kimmy. She was glad that she moved. If he wanted to date Kimmy, she wasn't one to ruin it for them. She did believe in revenge, but she didn't believe it had anything to do with romance. That was jealousy.  
  
Jason wasn't too bad. He wasn't exactly someone that she'd want to live with for the rest of her life, but who knows what kind of guy he'd make. He might be a deep romantic and only put on the idiotic show to fool people. He was one to do that. Jason the eagle Animagus was smarter than he let on. He was a fun guy to be around, but he had a soft side as well, such as the one that Malfoy cut deeply into last year. She hated him.  
  
Raphael spoke lies about her behind her back. He confronted her friends and called them atrocious names. His evil squad beat up a little first year. His right hand girl annoyed Lilus to no end, and that stupid blonde didn't know when to stop. It just wasn't fair. She should be the object of his harassment. The Malfoys and Potters had been enemies since day one. What was this Malfoy's problem?  
  
Oh the beautiful privacy. Lindsey would probably burst into the room any second now, laughing and giggling up a storm. There was no such thing as quiet when Lindsey was around. Lilus smiled. You had to love the girl. She was so nice and happy, a lot like Jason. They'd make a cute couple if she could overlook some of his not so fine qualities.  
  
Lilus rolled off of her bed and stretched, reaching for her broom and poking her head out of the window to stare at the Quidditch stadium. Oh the joys of Quidditch. She would be glad when the first game started. It would probably be against Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. Hardly ever was their first game against Slytherin. She'd love the fastness of it. She had missed it so much.  
  
She turned around and made her way over to the door, making her hand fly through the air just as her broom would. She opened the door and went back to the overly crowded Common Room, but, thank heavens, it was clearing out fast. Pretty soon, it was just her, Justin, and Jason sitting there. Jason was once again cooing to his cat named after Boba Fett, the assassin from Star Wars.  
  
"You'll find someone," Justin said, and it was at that time that Jason had clued into their conversation.  
  
"If you want, you can be my girlfriend," he said with an overly large grin on his face.  
  
Lilus smiled and walked over to him, patting him on the shoulder. "Sorry, eagle boy. You'd make a nice match with Lindsey, though."  
  
Jason's eyes went wide, and Justin laughed. "Really? Lindsey as in your friend?"  
  
"Yeah, but I'm not sure if she likes you very much," Lilus said, returning to her seat next to Justin.  
  
Jason's expression faded. "That was mean. You shouldn't shoot my hopes down like that."  
  
"Well, we're both having the same problem," she said. "You don't have a girlfriend, and I've never had a boyfriend."  
  
Justin sighed and shook his head. "You two need to forget about boyfriends and girlfriends. You should start searching when you're out of school."  
  
Jason snorted. "Yeah. Right. Whatever. Easy for you to say, Angelfeather. You had about three million girls walk up to you and ask your sexy ass out. Of course you'd be giving us romantic lessons."  
  
Justin smiled. "Yes, that is true, and I've also turned them all down. You should worry about school now, not girls or boys."  
  
Jason put Boba on the floor and sprawled out in the nearest chair. "Still. I'd be extremely content if I had a quarter of that female magnetism. Why the hell are you girls so confusing, Lilus?"  
  
She shrugged. "I'm not the person you need to be asking about that. The only quality of a girl that I seem to have is a body."  
  
Jason winked. "And a very nice ass to go with it."  
  
She glared at him. "Shut up, Jason."  
  
"Nice cleavage too," he giggled.  
  
"Shut up, Jason," she said in a firmer voice.  
  
"Love that ass..."  
  
"Jason!!"  
  
She pounced on him, making the chair fall backwards. Jason laughed and grabbed her around her waist, lifting her off of him. He stood up and grabbed her wrists and twirled her around, making her arms cross tightly in front of her. She growled at him and pulled against his brute strength.  
  
"Yup, very nice body," he laughed.  
  
Her right eye was twitching. He removed his arms and smacked her in her butt. She whirled around, picked him up by his collar, and tossed him onto the couch next to a very bored looking Justin. Jason pounced back ar her. Justin had seen them fight like this a lot, and he knew that Jason meant everything he said to her. Lilus was now sitting on Jason's back, tickling the heck out of him. Jason had been driven to tears and was begging for Justin to save him. Justin just shook his head.  
  
"Your fight, not mine," he said with that evil smirk.  
  
"Yeah, your fight, not his. Die, bird boy!"  
  
"Plea...hawhawhaw...stop...hawhawhaw...cough...please...need...hahahahaha...air..."  
  
"Get off him, Lilus. Let the poor boy breathe for a while," Justin said.  
  
Lilus climbed off of him and walked over to the sofa, sitting next to Angelfeather once more.  
  
"You know, he's not exactly lying, Lilus. You are very attractive," Justin said, trying to continue their conversation in the Great Hall. "You are a very pretty girl."  
  
Lilus looked at him dumbstruck. "Angelfeather, forgive me, but do you think anyone is going to go out with me. Look at my eyes. Most of the time they're red. Sometimes they're brown. Give me a break. No one is going to go out with someone with evil eyes like mine."  
  
"Hey, chica, you might find someone who's favorite color is red. You don't look bad, and if you find Mr. Imtheoneforyou, he won't care that your eyes are red. He'll think that you're perfect just the way you are, eyes included."  
  
Lilus really wasn't one for compliments. She didn't like being complimented. Maybe if she had a few boyfriends before that than it would matter. But all anyone ever did was compliment her and do the exact opposite. You're beautiful, but you're kinda creepy too. You're smart, but not smart enough for me to love you. Maybe she should just give up on boys entirely. It wasn't like they made a line to date her. They were all afraid of her eyes. Her stupid, evil red eyes. Why couldn't she have a normal color of eyes like everyone else? It just wasn't fair.  
  
"Men are confusing," she grunted in her seat.  
  
Jason grinned and leaned back in the chair he had placed himself in. "Of course we are!" he said happily, throwing his arms into the air.  
  
She laughed, but her face grew solumn again. "I'm probably never going to get a boyfriend. Maybe I should just drop the entire thing."  
  
Jason shook his head. "That's not true. You're gonna find Mr. Man and marry him and have thirteen babies! I'll be Uncle Jason! I'm so proud," he said in a voice that hinted he was about to cry.  
  
"You'll be dead before I have thirteen kids, Jason," she growled, narrowing her eyes at him.  
  
He smiled. "Hey, I'm a guy. I'm entitled to think stuff like that. And it's not my fault that I'm horny, okay? Seeing you in a very revealing silk nightgown would surely make my day."  
  
Justin cut in before she could say anything back to him. "Enough Jason. We don't want to know anything about sexual fantasies that you may have dreamt about Lilus, okay?"  
  
Jason snapped his fingers. "Darn..."  
  
"Jason, you're insane," she said, leaning on the arm of the sofa.  
  
He grinned and winked at her. "Thank you."  
  
Lilus sat in the chair, and the only sound was the cracking of the fire. She loved the sound of fire. It was so sharp. So precise. She probably dozed off, but she really didn't care. She had done all of her summer homework, and it was safely packed away in her bag, ready for tomorrow. She had gotten all the ink and quills that she'd need, and she was ready for tomorrow. She was really eager to see Remy again, too. She'd really missed his friendly face.  
  
But now there was another Slytherin prick that was going to try and ruin her year. From the sound of it, he was trying to steal his cousin's reign. He said that he was thinking about taking his Seeker position. If he could do that, he could take the whole snake squad along with it. She wasn't sure if he could beat her at Quidditch, though. She had become somewhat of a legend around Hogwarts Quidditch-wise.  
  
It was obvious that the French prick was from France. How was he related to Malfoy, though? Malfoys weren't from France. They were from London or wherever. Not France, but maybe he was born in France. Ralphie had a mother. His mother might be French or whatever. She didn't know, and at the moment, she really wasn't sure if she wanted to ruin the moment by thinking of Malfoy and his cousin.  
  
At about a quarter to one, Justin brought her out of her little nap. "Time for bed, Lil. G'night."  
  
She groaned and sat up, stretching her arms up, yawning, and grunting while doing all that. Jason was hanging off his chair in the most peculiar position. His right leg was over the back of it, his left leg was probably close to being wrapped around his friggin' head, and his arms were thrown everywhere. He was upside down and drooling. She laughed loudly, almost falling to the floor in her drunken, barely awake state.  
  
"Oh my God. That's definitly going to stick with me for a while. Ew," she said with her eyes half open.  
  
"I'll fix him. Go to bed. You'll be sleepy tomorrow," Justin said, trying to right his friend.  
  
She stood up. "Yes, daddy. Night, daddy. Say night to mommy for me," she said in a very high-pitched voice.  
  
"Ah ain't yo' momma," Jason groaned, still in his sleep. He had told them that he spoke in a Southern accent when he slept talk. He was so right.  
  
Lilus and Justin laughed. "Night, Angelfeather," she said, creeping up the stairway.  
  
"Night, Lil. Sweet dreams."  
  
She went into hers and Lindsey's and two other girls' dorm and piled onto her bed, after changing into the oversized shirt and pajama pants that she always used for pajamas. She stared at the other three sleeping girls and wondered what their lives were like. It was always curious to look at the way other people were. Lilus thought it was, anyway. Slowly, she drifted back to sleep, dreaming of little Snitches flying every which direction, and her capturing every last one of them. 


	5. Sorries

Chapter 5  
  
Potions, the most hated of all the Gryffindor classes. Lilus sat next to Shawn and Jason, and both of them were glaring at Slytherins as they came in. Lilus watched the Frenchy and Mafoy enter the room together and take a seat on the other side of the room. She saw Frenchy grin evilly at her, and she only did the nicest thing she could think of and made a rude hand gesture. He snorted and sat down next to Raphael, who had been looking at her from behind his cousin. There it was again, and she had missed it.  
  
She had quill and parchment ready, and her homework was hiding beneath a piece of fresh, ready-for-notes parchment. She watched Snape come out of the room behind the blackboard. At once, class was silent, Gryffindors and Slytherins alike. Everyone was facing towards the blackboard as Snape looked around for any slackers. He stood strong and silent, his black hair barely moving in the dugeon draft. He was dressed in his usual getup, black, black, and of course, more black.   
  
Lilus looked up at him like a good student, waiting for him to give any instruction that he wished to. He kept looking around at the class, staring contently at each face with his piercing eyes before moving to the next. He stopped on hers, and their eyes met. She saw something familiar in his eyes, but it was the first time that he had ever exhibited it. Fear. Professor Snape looked at her and was afraid. She knew why. Her eyes were red, and they reminded him of Voldemort. He finally moved to Jason, who had a really stupid grin on his face.  
  
"Don't look so cheerful, Mr. Alus. This is a dungeon, and this is Advanced Potions. There is no happiness here," Snape said dully. "Copy the notes on the blackboard, and we shall discuss them afterwards," he droned, tapping the blackboard once with his wand.  
  
Words appeared on it, and Snape went to his desk to mess with his cauldron and ingredients. Darn notes. It was either notes, tests, or experimenting in this class. Why couldn't it be anything interesting? She copied her notes down neatly, glancing at Jason's sloppy handwriting that looked more like morse code than it did letters, but then again, he was known to write in languages that only he knew. He was really close to his paper, as if he was trying not to mess up. His tongue was curled around his lips, and he looked very strained. He looked so silly. Shawn, on the other hand, was very graceful and elegant while writing his notes. He sat with his back straight in the chair, with one hand in his lap and the other calligraphing away on his parchment with a white, silver-lined quill. It was his favorite one, and he had cherished it for a good three years.  
  
Her favorite quill, the one in her hand now, was a black feather with silver lining. It had come from a black phoenix, a phoenix that was rumored to be extinct. She didn't care if it wasn't a real black phoenix feather or not. Her father had given it to her during her birthday on her fourth year. She loved it to death. It was a very beautiful thing, too. It was nice and sharp.  
  
Notes were finished, and she sat in her chair staring at them, occasionally looking up to see if anyone else was finished. Raphael had let his hair grow out a little more. Usually, he kept it short and slicked back, but now, it was hanging very limply on the side of his head. It came down to the bottom of his ears, and he had a small section of it tied at the back of his head. He was busy talking notes, but at last, he put his quill down, and she had to look away.  
  
Why the hell was she checking him out?!  
  
Ew! She didn't want to think about it. Lilus started to think about any way possible that she could get back at the Frenchy for calling her a bitch. Like she noted before, she believed in revenge, and it was one of the best things she had ever felt.   
  
She suddenly felt Shawn push something into her hands. She glanced down, surprised. He didn't look at her, but he resumed writing his notes. She opened the note slowly and carefully, making very little noise as she did so.  
  
Are you mad at me? You haven't spoken to me since we got on the train.  
  
She carefully put the parchment on the table without Snape noticing and wrote something just under where he had written.  
  
No. I just noticed that you and Kimmy make a cute couple.  
  
She drew it quickly back under the desk and slid it into his lap. Without removing quill from the page, he glanced down and read it before putting it on the table and writing something else. He passed it to her quickly and silently.  
  
Do you think so?  
  
She wrote under it once again.  
  
Yes. Stop passing notes or we'll get caught and into trouble. Wait until tonight if you must talk about anything.  
  
And he didn't pass her another one. She really didn't want to talk to him, but she decided that they should be friends anyway. He was a Marauder, and he was her friend, even though he had her going for a while about a possible relationship. She sat during the boring lecture that Snape gave, raising her hand at about every question even though he ignored her completely. She didn't care. Every time Jason raised his hand, he was called on, and he gave the wrong answer so Snape would insult him and give the right answer, and he could write it down in his little morse code language. Jason was too cute sometimes.  
  
Eventually, they were free to go. Everyone gathered everything up, and Charlie and Nick sided her as they walked out for some reason. When they were out of the dungeon, she heard Frenchy talk.  
  
"Running away?"  
  
She poked her hand behind her back and flipped him off again, only to have someone grab her by her shoulders and turn her around. She grabbed hold of the big lug's arms and watched him wince when she dug her fingernails into his flesh.  
  
"Let go of me," she hissed, while Nick and Charlie stood behind her.   
  
Jason soon joined them, and Shawn was in the back. The boy that had grabbed ahold of her let go, but she still held onto him while she pushed him back towards his group. She threw him hard against the crowd, but he regained his balance and glared at her. She looked at Frenchy.  
  
"Look. If I'm running away from anything, it's Snape, definitly not you, Frenchy. So do yourself a favor and leave me the hell alone," she said, starting to turn away.  
  
"Don't worry, my little peche. We shall meet again," he growled as she walked away.  
  
She ignored him and wondered where Malfoy was. He wasn't standing with his cousin that time. She and the boys left the group of Slytherins.  
  
"I've never seen so much love come off a Slytherin. God, Lilus, how'd you piss him off?" Baker asked, coming up behind them.  
  
"I bumped into him on the train, and I suppose he took it the wrong way."  
  
Baker looked back at the Slytherins. "He looks like the King of all dicks, Lilus. I'd be careful if I were you. He looks...evil. More evil than Malfoy. Who is that guy anyway?"  
  
"His name is Alexander somethingorother. He's Malfoy's cousin," she answered, walking with a proud sense behind her.  
  
She knew that he was going to be the prime problem this year. Geez. She'd be glad when Quidditch started up. She needed some competition. At least she was heading to Remy's class now.  
  
The Defense Against Dark Arts class was in one of the towers. She and the boys hiked all the way up there, and there he stood. Remus Lupin. She beamed with glee as she took her seat, and he smiled warmly to her. Once all the Ravenclaws and Griffindors piled in, Remy began to talk.  
  
"For those of you who do not know me, I am Professor Lupin, and this is Defense Against Dark Arts. If you are supposed to be in Divination, you are in the wrong tower, and I suggest you to go the tower on the other side of the Great Hall."  
  
No one moved. He nodded his head and smiled.  
  
"Good. We are all in the right place. First, I will cover what we will be doing this term. From now till Holloween, we will be studying the Patronus, and I shall assist you in conjuring up your very own..."  
  
Patronus. Her father had told her about that before she even came to school. Remy had taught her that what...like her second year at Hogwarts? He gave a lot of extra training to her. Her Patronus was a dragon that looked like a snake with wings. It was about thirty feet long, and it coiled around her with its wings and head in front of her, hissing protectively.  
  
"After that, we shall discuss the purpose of the Patronus and why it is used. We shall also practice various disarming and protection spells. After Holloween, we will begin on Boggarts, and how to conquer them... Yes, Mr. Ansoli?"  
  
The Ravenclaw in the back that raised his hand started talking. "Didn't we study Boggarts in third year, Professor?"  
  
Remy nodded. "Yes, you did, but a new breed of Boggart has been discovered, and some harmful wizards have been using them against their victims."  
  
"How, Professor?" he asked again.  
  
"These particular Boggarts can only be conquered if the fear of their current form is conquered. After Boggarts," he clapped his hands together, "well, we'll see how the year goes. If everyone is well-behaved and loyal to their studies, I'll give you options on what you want to do, understood?"  
  
There was a cheer.  
  
"The Patronus is a spell that can protect its the caster from the cold stare of a dementor. Every...EVERY...Patronus is different, even by the slightest measure," Remy stated clearly. "Does anyone know how to summon their Patronus?"  
  
Lilus raised her hand and heard a shuffling as students turned to look at her.  
  
"Ms. Potter! Does anyone else know how to summon one?"  
  
No more hands went up, but that was expected.  
  
"Care to demonstrate, Ms. Potter?"  
  
She stood up, taking her wand in hand, and walked to the front of the class. Remy moved to the side, letting Lilus stand in the center of the room. Lilus closed her eyes and held her wand before her, ready to cast. She thought about her father and her mother, and even that stupid cat that was the best foot warmer that she had. She thought about Justin and Nick and Charlie. She thought about Remy.  
  
"Expecto Patronum!" she cried loudly.  
  
The white whisp of light suddenly poured from the end of her want. Out of her wand, slithered a long winged-snake that curled its body loosely around its mistress, standing before her and shielding her with its wings. She kept her eyes closed and kept thinking happy thoughts until her wand stopped vibrating. That was the bad thing about her Patronus. It took a slightly longer time to conjure, but it was strong. There were many gasps in the room as the dragon looked at everyone. She flicked her wand at it twice and it vanished.  
  
"Very good, Ms. Potter. Please return to your seat. Take out your books and turn to page ten. Begin reading and have the chapter read for tomorrow. I expect all of you to come into class with the knowledge of what we're to do that day. You have the rest of class to read, so continue," Remy sat down at his desk and began to write something.  
  
"Showoff," laughed Nick from behind her.  
  
She smiled and rolled her eyes at him, opening her book to page ten. She began to read, knowing full well that they'd be taking notes the next day. They always took notes on the third day back. Always. She was close to finishing the chapter by the end of class, and like usual, Jason was about three words into it before he and Baker started a paper throwing war. When they were dismissed, they packed everything up and went down to lunch.  
  
"What about the evil snake that picked on her after Potions?" Nick asked, striking up a conversation as he stuffed his mouth full of potato.  
  
"Well, it's obvious that he's an evil dog," Jason said, although it sounded like "Err, ib obis mrat eee ebil pog."  
  
They had been around Jason long enough to recognize his incomprehensible food speech.  
  
"True, but Malfoy's been looking at me with a strange stare," Lilus said, popping a piece of chicken into her mouth. "It's weirding me out."  
  
"How?" Justin asked from across the table.  
  
What was that emotion that Malfoy had in his eyes? She could have sworn that it was sadness, but she wasn't sure. It could have been a full grown glare, but she had not looked at him long enough. He always turned his head. It was as if he knew what she was searching for. As if he knew she was looking into his feelings.  
  
"I'm...not really sure. He just...has never looked at me that way before," she said, spooning cobbler into her mouth. "Mmm. This stuff's good! Try some of that over there!"  
  
It was a mixture of blackberries and strawberries, mixed in with a crispy crust. It was so good that it almost made her cry. Jason helped himself to some and nearly ate his entire serving with just one spoonful. He looked like a balloon there for a minute before he gagged it all down.  
  
"That was good! Hey, Baker! Pass that thing down here, will yah?" he asked, pointing to the large china dish.  
  
Baker piled some in his plate and passed it down, everyone scooping some out before it finally got to Jason. He didn't care. He piled his plate full of it and started to chug it all down.  
  
"God, Jason. Since when did you have a mouth that big?" Nick asked from beside her when the interest of the table had shifted to Jason's wolfing down the cobbler.  
  
"Oh. He's always had a mouth that big. He just...never found that cobbler before," Lilus laughed, eating what was on her plate.  
  
That was some good cobbler. After lunch was over and Jason had finally eaten all the cobbler that he could find, they were set to go to Charms and Herbology. Both classes were a royal bore, but Lilus managed to stay awake during the introduction speeches that lasted for the entire class. They had been bogged down with homework, and Lilus was nearly finished with hers, considering that she had the amazing ability to read, write, research, and walk at the same time. Nick and Charlie really thought it was amazing.  
  
She and Shawn had decided to skip dinner that evening and spend the time talking in the Common Room. No one objected except Justin, but that passed quickly. They were sitting there staring at each other, when he finally spoke.  
  
"You...um...are mad at me...aren't you?" he said.  
  
She nodded. "I was, but not anymore. I've given up."  
  
He looked at the floor. "I'm sorry..."  
  
"Shawn, it's no biggie. You weren't my type anyway. I need someone who's as evil-looking as I am."  
  
He looked up at her with a pained expression. "You aren't evil-looking. You're just different."  
  
She shrugged and shook her head. "Whatever. You and Kimmy, right?"  
  
He nodded. "Asked her on the train."  
  
"Well, that's nice. Probably going to grow up to be an Auror or something like that. It won't provide me with much time for a family."  
  
Shawn shook his head. "Oh please. You're very pretty."  
  
She shook her head and stood up. "Get this straight. The only guy that would probably date me is Voldemort himself. Aside from him, there isn't anyone who's brave enough to. AND STOP CALLING ME PRETTY!"  
  
She had no clue where that outburst had come from. All she knew is that about ten minutes later, she found herself walking around outside the vacated Charms room with about twenty minutes to go before dinner ended. She was pacing back and forth,oblivious to anything around her. She shouldn't have yelled at him like that. She was sick of compliments though, especially from him. Nikodemus was dating Kimmy. She'd have to think of a name for herself, because it was likely that Kimmy would. She suddenly wanted out of the Marauders. She was sick of them, except for maybe Jason, but he was insane enough to date her. What was wrong with her?  
  
"Something the matter, ma peche?" The Frenchy.  
  
She twirled around. "Do you have something better to do than to follow me everywhere? Seriously?! You're becoming quite a little pain in the--"  
  
There was no one there.  
  
"Over here," Frenchy said.  
  
It was an invisibility cloak. It had to be. She waited, standing perfectly still, waited until she could feel the slightest sound or breeze that would give him away. He'd have to move sometime.  
  
"Stalker," she spat at him.  
  
"Of course, ma peche," he said somewhere to her right.  
  
She lunged for the sound, and felt herself grab hold of something silky. She pulled the invisibility cloak off, her eyes flashing dangerously. The Frenchy was there, and he had a thick, sturdy boy behind him. She stared at them both. They both stared at her. She was outnumbered, but she remembered not to look scared. Slytherins feed off of fear, her father had told her.  
  
"God. I thought even you were better than that. Why do you insist on following me?"  
  
The blonde boy smiled. "For the sweetest of revenges, ma peche."  
  
"Dude, you must have some serious mental problem. I just bumped into you on the train. That's nothing to go haywire about."  
  
Dude? Since when did she start talking like Jason? His American way was rubbing off on her.  
  
Frenchy just stood there. "Oh yes, but I have special orders for you. Orders from God, and you know what they are? To make your life a living HELL!"  
  
She wasn't scared of him or the other boy. "Oh please. You might scare a kitten or puppy, but you aren't very intimidating with your Frenchy boy accent. So why don't you just leave me alone? Go find someone else to bother."  
  
He just smiled. "By time I get through with you, I won't need to," he said, clenching his teeth tightly.  
  
He pulled his wand out and waved it in front of himself menacingly. She looked at the boy behind him.  
  
"So what's he? Your bathroom support buddy?" she said in a lazy tone.  
  
That made Frenchy mad. His eyes narrowed, and he drew up the sleeves of his robe. "You...little mudblood spawn... I'll...teach...you..."  
  
"Don't strain yourself too hard. You look kinda constipated," she spat, holding her own wand out in front of him.  
  
God, he looked like he was about to explode. Maybe she had better cool it down before something really bad happened. Slytherins were known for their rashness at times.  
  
"Look, dude. I'm sorry, but now is the worst time that you have picked, okay? Please, just later?"  
  
There was that dude again. By the looks of it, this just made Frenchy even angrier. She didn't know what his problem was, but he was beginning to become as annoying as that blonde girl that hung around with Malfoy. The other boy just stood in the back with his eyes looking towards the floor.   
  
"How..dare you...? How dare you?!"  
  
"Look, it's an insult defense reflex, okay? You insult or threaten me, I'll turn it around on you. Please...go away."  
  
The boy jabbed him in the back and whispered something to him. Frenchy regained his calm and nodded. "Of course. I nearly forgot."  
  
They whipped the cloak around them. After they vanished, Lilus was perfectly still. She heard footsteps down the hall and knew that she was alone again. What was it with that guy? He was so strange. She thought Malfoy was bad. She knew that this Slytherin would gain his Hogwarts legs by the middle of the year, and he'd put her through hell by that time. She sat with her back against the stone wall, wishing and waiting for the lunch to break. Maybe then she'd have a chance to apologize to Shawn. He was her friend. He was her friend. He was a Marauder. He was her ally. She had no reason in the world to treat him bad just because he liked Kimmy. That was wrong. That was so horribly wrong.  
  
"Man...I really screwed up."  
  
She took a piece of parchment out and started to write a note to him, just in case I'm sorry wasn't enough.  
  
Dear Nikodemus,  
  
I'm not sure that you were aware of it, but I used to have a crush on you. Yeah, me, evil, demon girl. Well. I've pretty much given up, so you and Kimmy have nothing to worry about. As for what happened in the Common Room, I just keep hearing 'You're pretty' from guys that don't have enough guts to date me. I'm not pretty if I've never attracted a guy in my life. I'm sorry for yelling at you. I really am. I just...I dunno, with the French guy and everything. I have a feeling this year's going to be more crummy than last year. I'm just nervous. You know, the beginning of the year nervous. Anyway, I'm really sorry about my tantrum in the Common Room. I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me.  
  
Lilus  
  
She really wanted a codename. Really bad. Everyone else could and would sign their notes a certain way, but she couldn't. They had not found a name to fit her, and she was not going by Bloodshot or Red Eyes. Jason had been so kind to suggest those...NOT. She rolled the scroll up and put in beside her, packing her quill away in her bag.  
  
"Mom, Dad, the year has started, and it sucks," she said to herself. "I miss you loads. I'll be glad when I come back home."  
  
She probably sounded so pathetic, talking to herself and all. She missed her parents. She loved her parents. She just needed some emotional comfort, and they always knew what to say. This time, though, she'd probably ask them about her eyes. She wanted to know why they were red and not brown or blue or green. Shawn held no comfort, and neither did Justin or Jason. Maybe she was just...she didn't know...isolated. She wasn't even a real Marauder. You could only be a real Marauder if you had a codename, and she was just one because she had started it. She wanted a name, and she didn't want it to have anything to do with her evil eyes. 


	6. Remy and that Darn Snitch

***By the way, just in case you all haven't noticed. I'm not J. K. Rowling, and I don't own her characters. Lilus and all the original characters that you've never heard before are mine, though. Duh. You all are smart people. I'm sure you figured that out as well. Well. Thanks for reading! And please review!***  
  
Chapter 6  
  
In the week that had passed since her official first day of school, Quidditch tryouts were being held. It was a sunny day with a slight chill and hardly no clouds in the sky. The only little cottonball that she could see wasn't large enough to even get suspicious of. She attended, of course, after school had been finished for the day. She was greeted by a gang of second years that were eager to play Quidditch, and there was one younger boy who was trying out for her spot that caught her eye.  
  
She was the Seeker.  
  
The Twins were the Beaters.  
  
Shawn had become the Keeper.  
  
Baker, Diego, and Justin were the Chasers.  
  
Jason just liked to watch, and he sat on the grass a few yards away, doing homework of all things.  
  
The entire Quidditch team was her family. Shawn forgave her for her little outburst and apologized for leading her on, and now he was just one of the gang again. Since Justin was the oldest, he was the Captain and had made it a duty to train the younger players that wanted to be in it. The older players that wanted to take over their positions were challenged, and they lost miserably. The Marauders had taken over the Quidditch team two years ago, when the Captain left school and named Justin to be the Captain. They played fair, all except for Diego, who was just about as cunning as a Slytherin and could pull of an illegal stunt without anyone noticing. Lilus was happy to be outside again, and all tension melted away.  
  
"Alright!" yelled Justin as he tried to get the trainees' attention.  
  
Lilus saw what miserable job he was doing. "HEY! SEEKERS ARE BY ME! BEATERS ARE OVER THERE BESIDE THE TWINS! KEEPERS ARE IN FRONT OF HIM! AND CHASERS ARE OVER THERE NEXT TO THE RED-HAIRED BOY TRYING TO HEX A BUSH!"  
  
All the chaos shattered, and there was suddenly many groups of kids surrounding them. Lilus smiled at Justin and waved her and in their direction.  
  
"Your turn," she said.  
  
He smiled devilishly. "You evil, little thing."  
  
She grinned. "Of course."  
  
"Alright! For the time being, each player is to recruit one or two people and train them, just in case one of you gets jinxed and is unable to play, I want full coverage! You understand!?"  
  
There was a cheer, and each group of people took their particular ball from the box. The Chasers and Keepers stuck together, just so they could show the ball off without having to toss it back and forth. Lilus was surrounded by little second and third years, and she held the Snitch tightly in her hands.  
  
"Alright. Does anyone not know what this is?" she asked, raising it above the group. A few hands went up. "Okay. This is the Snitch. It's the hardest little bugger to find, but when you find it and catch it, your team gets 150 points, and the game ends. Okay, now what you really need to watch out for is the other Seeker and Beaters. Usually the Chasers will leave you alone, USUALLY."  
  
She gave the Snitch to the nearest kid and told him to pass it around and let the other kids see. They awed and ooed at it, and it was passed around to her.  
  
"Okay, the Quaffle is what he's throwing, see the four tall kids over there? That big thing? Yeah. That's the Quaffle. The Chasers will be using that mostly. It doesn't hurt too much, but try not to get in the way of it while it's being passed. The Bludgers are a nightmare. For me anyways. They are what those two guys with sticks are using. They HURT! Try not to get hit by them. And as you will probably see when the time comes, those things have enough power in them to knock you clean off your broomstick, so be careful. I've been sent to the hospital wing before because of one of those things. And Slytherin Beaters are just as bad. They tail me all the time, trying to knock a friggin' Bludger at my head. Beware of the entire Slytherin team, okay? Any questions so far?"  
  
A few hands went up once more. "How fast does that thing go?"  
  
"Well, I'll show you."  
  
She tossed the tiny ball into the air, and the kids gasped when it vanished.  
  
"Be right back. Let me go catch it."  
  
She climbed on her broom and soared skywards. She opened her ears for it. Since it wasn't an official game, it shouldn't put up much of a fight. She saw it hovering a few feet above Justin. She blasted off after it, zooming nearly into the post that Justin was beside.  
  
"Watch it!" he yelled.  
  
"Sorry!"  
  
She caught it with ease and flew back to her group of kids. "That's how fast it is. Now, some of you won't make it, and all I have to say is try next year. Right now, we have a good team, so we probably won't be recruiting any directly onto the team, but we will need good backup, and that's what you're here for. Slytherin tends to pull some nasty stunts. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff aren't so bad, but there are some rats on there. All you have to make sure you get is this little thing here. It's not as hard as it looks and once you get the hang of it, it's easy."  
  
"How long have you been practicing?"  
  
"Since before my first year. My dad was a really big Quidditch fan. He played in the Pros, so naturally, he'd be teaching it to me at a young age. But, remember, just because we lose a game doesn't mean it's the end of the world, okay? I've only got one more year here after this one, so I'll need you all to be at practice so we can pick out some people to train, okay? But if you don't get picked the first time, keep on trying. You still have a few more years. Okay, is there anymore questions?"  
  
"All we have to do is catch the Snitch?"  
  
"Yes, and watch out for opposing players, and all Beaters. I don't know how many times those two have swung a Bludger at me."  
  
"What if one of us is knocked out?"  
  
"Well...pray that doesn't happen. That leaves the Snitch to the other Seeker unless you come to, which isn't very likely considering that you'll be playing fifty feet in the air."  
  
"What are we going to do next?"  
  
"Well, the way we originally planned it, we're going to set you all up there in groups. There's enough people for two games. You'll be either red or gold team. We're going to give you capes to put on to show your color. Two Seekers will be up there when I release this thing, so watch for it, and remember, it's fast!"  
  
"Is there any tips that you'll give us?"  
  
"Yes, listen for it," she flicked the Snitch once, holding it on the top and bottom of the little sphere. It gave off a ringing buzz as its wings flapped. "Hear that? Snitches have a knack for hiding directly under people's faces, just under the chin or behind them, where they can't see. If you learn to listen to that, then you'll be in good shape. That's my problem though. I'll listen to it, and I'll forget about Bludgers."  
  
"Anything else?"  
  
"Well, when the game starts, fly up as high as you're able to and look down upon the field. If you look at one place, but let your eyes wander, you'll eventually see a little speck of gold. Go towards it. If you see the opposing Seeker fly for something, be careful. It could mean that they have spotted it and are going after it, or it could mean that it's a bluff and a distraction."  
  
"Wow."  
  
"And keep in mind to watch out for all Bludgers and Beaters! I'm serious about them... Any more questions?"  
  
No hands.  
  
"Good. There are an odd number of you, so one of you will have to go twice, or you can choose to go against me. Anyway, pair yourselves into teams, and make them even, for God's sake! I don't want to have to pull apart friend groups, so make it even on both sides except for one person. That one person just pick a team and stay there."  
  
Lilus walked to Justin's group, and he was still lecturing.  
  
"Justin, my band's ready. How about yours?"  
  
"Almost. Go see if Shawn and Nick's ready."  
  
"Accio broom!" Lilus said, waving her wand.  
  
Her broom lifted itself from the ground and shot straight into her hand. She mounted it and flew towards Shawn.  
  
"You ready?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
And then she went to Nick, avoiding his bat as she did, not that it was anything unusual. "Okay...Nick...are you ready?"  
  
"Of course, oh dark one."  
  
All of his kids looked very demented, and she didn't trust them with anything that could be used to hit someone with. "Well, bring your kids to the center. SHAWN, BRING THEM TO THE CENTER! MY CREW, STAY IN TEAMS AND GO TO THE CENTER!"  
  
Everyone did as she said, except for Justin's team, but he eventually led them there.  
  
"Okay, try not to get hurt. If you do manage to fall off your broom, and the closest person doesn't catch you, remember that we'll be monitoring from down here. In a real game, if you fall off your broom, tough luck. We're just doing this so you'll get the hang of staying on. Now...everyone, into their teams red and gold!"  
  
Lilus went over to the little kids and picked the first two. "You two, get the cape of your color and put it on. Mount your brooms and fly up there. Stay in formation!"  
  
Everyone else picked their sets and up the players went. The reserved players were sitting on the grass, looking up at their comrades. Lilus pulled the Snitch from her pocket and released it just as everyone else released their respective balls. Each team was playing in a real stadium, and they played like it was an official game. Lilus kept an eye on her Seekers, watching them float around in confusion.  
  
"Doesn't look like your Seekers are doing very well, Lilus," Justin said.  
  
"It's their first time. Being a Seeker isn't as easy as everyone thinks it to be," she growled at him.  
  
The Red Seeker bolted towards the Hufflepuff stand, and the Gold Seeker followed him.  
  
"Your Chasers are doing really well, guys. Look at them go!"  
  
"The Beaters are doing good too!"  
  
"Shawn, those Keepers need to move around some more."  
  
"Lil, what's wrong with your Seekers?"  
  
"Nothing's wrong with them! They haven't been at this for as long as I have. They actually give a game to watch!"  
  
Baker nodded. "Nowadays, games are over in what...twenty to thirty minutes?"  
  
"Yeah, sorry guys," Lilus said, leaning on her broom.  
  
"At least we win everrrryyy time," Diego said, grinning. "Nothing to apologize about that, Lil."  
  
"Those were those two times that those damned Slytherins knocked her out," Baker said. "Those bastards."  
  
"Yeah, but...oh look at Red Seeker! He's following it!"  
  
Everyone looked up. "How can you tell? I don't see anything!"  
  
Lilus laughed. "That Snitch is hard to see. You have to be trained in the matters, Nick."  
  
She saw the little red boy reach for it, plucking it from its place in the air. She saw him wave it excitedly in the air.  
  
"I GOT IT! I GOT IT!"  
  
Everyone flew down, and Lilus congratulated him. "Good job! Okay, next two Seekers!"  
  
This went on for a good few hours, and finally, Lilus had picked two boys that were doing exceptionally well. With the promise of being mailed two days from then if they got on the team, the trainees took off. Lilus and her boys spent the rest of their unillegal time at the stadium doing homework and flying around.  
  
"Hey, Lilus! Whats the...uh...darn...the compass spell?!" Jason asked, busy trying to write down every spell he knew, having finished his homework.  
  
"Point Me!" she yelled back at him.  
  
"Oh right." Jason scribbled down the incantation, which wasn't really an incantation at all.  
  
Lilus was floating above the Quidditch field, letting the wind fly through her hair. She loved being up this high. The Snitch rarely went this high, but when it did, she enjoyed every second of it, providing that she didn't fall off her broom. A fall like that would probably kill her. That's what made it more fun. The more risk, the more danger, the more fun.  
  
She missed them. It's just the second friggin week after school started, and she missed her parents to no end. She was never this homesick before. Never, not in all other five years that she had been at Hogwarts was she this homesick. Maybe it was because she hadn't visited Remy yet. Well, her homework was completed, and there was still a few days to go before he changed, so hey, what the heck? She'd go see him tonight.  
  
It was about nine at night when she snuck out of her House. Her boys knew where she was going, they always did, and they found some other way to entertain themselves that night. With Marauder's Map in hand and Invisibility Cloak draped over her, she quietly made her way down the corridor. It was dark, and all the torches had dimmed. She was about five minutes from Remy's office when she heard Mrs. Norris' pitter pitter pat pat coming down the stone hall. She didn't panic. She picked a tiny, loose stone from the wall and waited.  
  
Mrs. Norris came around the corner just as expected. Lilus threw the stone as far as she could, only appearing for a few seconds, and that was when Mrs. Norris wasn't looking. That cat had to be as old as McGonagall. She had a litter of kittens a few months before, and Filch sent them everywhere too. He was breeding an army. Geez.  
  
Mrs. Norris flew after the sound, disappearing down another hallway. Grinning, she continued down the corridor and finally reached his office. His door was cracked open slightly, like it always was, and she peered inside it before letting herself in. She closed the door and removed her cloak.  
  
"Moony! Remy, where are you?!"  
  
There was no answer. She sat in a nearby chair and inspected his office. It was decorated with little trinkets, and looked sort of like her room, but with more maturity. On the shelf, there was a picture that had four people in it. She had never noticed that there before. She slid out of the creeking chair and walked over to it. Four boys were horsing around in the picture. They were snatching at a Snitch and holding brooms. She took it off the shelf and back to her seat. One boy had blonde hair, the other brown, and the last two black as night. One of those boys wore glasses. There were inked letters above each boy, each in a different handwriting.  
  
Wormtail was over the blonde boy in someone of a normal handwriting.  
  
Moony was over the brown-haired boy in elegant handwriting.  
  
Padfoot was over the black-haired boy, the tallest one in something that Jason would probably write.  
  
And Prongs was over the black-haired boy with glasses in small, neat handwriting.  
  
All of them were waving sheepishly at her in the black and white photo, like teenaged boys would. It was her grandpa. He looked exactly like her father, except younger. They were all so cute, but it was kinda weird, calling your deceased grandfather cute. She saw her father's godfather. He looked smashing. Wormtail was the shortest of them all and kinda pudgy. He had that baby face though. She knew he was the traitor of the group, the reason why her grandfather and grandmother died. And of course, Moony. Remy, her godfather and the most awesome professor that she had ever had. He looked so handsome.  
  
"Lilus?"  
  
She nearly fell out of her chair. The picture went flying into the air, but she snatched it a second after she realized it was going to break against the floor. She grinned sheepishly and looked up at his stone stare.  
  
"Hey, Remy. I was just...uh...looking at the original Marauders," she said, holding the picture out to him.  
  
Remus smiled and patted her head. "You silly girl. You should be in the Common Room, not here."  
  
She shrugged. "Well...just cuz I am I have two people two blame for it, AT LEAST!"  
  
Remy laughed. "And who might they be?"  
  
"Daddy and Grandpa are the first two, then I have you... Plus, I just came to visit. I haven't visited you any this year yet. You're the coolest professor out there, Remy!"  
  
He sat at his desk and looked at her. "I'm glad you think so."  
  
"Course I think so! What's cooler than being taught by your godfather who just happens to be a werewolf and your favorite professor!" she said, still having the large grin on her face.  
  
He laughed, probably thinking that she looked silly. "How are you doing in your other classes?"  
  
"Pretty good. When's the Hogsmeade trip? I saved up three Galleons to spend on Snape this year."  
  
"First week in October I do believe," Remus said, watching her as she sat down, still holding the picture in hand.  
  
"All you Marauders were really cool-looking. How come Grandpa was the only one to snag a girl?"  
  
Remy chuckled. "Well, once the secret got out about what I was, no girl would ever come close to me except Lily, but she was with James. Sirius was the one who attracted all the girls. Peter and I were the...well...loners."  
  
"Aww...thats not nice."  
  
Remy shrugged. "Something bothering you?"  
  
Lilus was about to defy everything, but Remy was a good lie detector. "Homesick."  
  
Remy raised his hand to his chin and rested ontop of it. "Ah. That's unusual."  
  
Of course it was unusual.  
  
"I know. I just...I dunno want to go home for some reason," she said, looking at the picture.  
  
Remy leaned back in his chair, and she could see him watched her out of the corner of his eye. "How's your parents?"  
  
"They're good. I probably miss that evil cat..."  
  
Remy let out a hearty laugh. "Crookshanks?"  
  
She nodded, looking up and grinning. "Yeah. He's just...ick. Lovable, hugable, scary as heck in the middle of the night. Seriously. What would you do if this huge lump of fuzz came in your room and pounced on you with claws the size of a dragon's?" She sat in the chair and turned the Invisibility Cloak over and over in her hands, staring at the boys who had begun to horse around again. "You look so happy...in the picture."  
  
Remy sighed. "It's hard to find friends that'll accept you for what you are, sometimes. Werewolves are fears to a great extent."  
  
Lilus nodded. "I know what you mean."  
  
Remy tilted his head to one side, having a serious and confused look on his face. "Do you?"  
  
"Have you ever...seen Voldemort?" she croaked in a very quiet tone.  
  
The name did not cause flinching, not anymore. It hadn't for a very long time. Voldemort was just...a bad time. Remus looked at her and shook his head slowly.  
  
"Has anyone told you what he looked like?"  
  
Remus shook his head again.   
  
"Dad...said he had red eyes...and pale skin... I have red eyes and pale skin," she whispered, making the last part much less audible.  
  
Remy heard it all. "That...I'm not sure how to explain. It could possibly be a birth defect or a spell that was cast on your mother while she was carrying you."  
  
"Then how come the only people in history to have red eyes are me and Voldemort?" she asked, slightly louder but still afraid to say it.  
  
Remy sighed and rubbed his face, deep in thought. "I don't know. It's just a coincidence that you do. Voldemort was dead before you were born. Your father killed him."  
  
She wasn't sure if he'd relay this information to her parents or not, but she had to know why she was the only one at Hogwards that had red eyes. She was the only one with red eyes in the world, because Voldie was dead. Why did she have red eyes? Why red?  
  
"I...I'm tired of being different. People think I'm evil. They call me demon, shedevil, anything else they can think of," she said softly, standing up and putting the picture back on the shelf.  
  
"I know how you feel, but don't listen to them. They just don't understand. They never will. Take it from someone who knows. The best thing you can do is...well...either use it to your advantage or ignore what they say."  
  
He was a werewolf. He'd understand more than anyone else would. She was glad he was her godfather too. She had often wondered why she had so many godparents, but she eventually figured out that her father, should anything happen to him, didn't want her to live with the Dursleys. She loved her cousin, but...not that much. Remy knew what kind of insults and name calling she went through, although this was the first time she had ever brought it up with him. He had heard himself. She knew that.  
  
"Yeah. You're right. But it still hurts, Remy. Just because you pretend to not let it get to you, it does," she said, folding the cloak up before letting it tumble down again.  
  
He nodded. "I know. That's what Remy's here for, right?"  
  
She looked at him and smiled. "Yeah. That's what Remy's here for."  
  
She stood up and dropped the cloak on the chair, walking over to him. She hugged him tightly and retrieved it.  
  
"I better be getting back. Night, Remy," she said, slinging the cloak gracefully around her shoulders.  
  
"Good night, Lilus. Don't get caught," he said, smiling at her sweetly.  
  
"Me? Get caught? Oh come on. Expect to see me more often. When do you transform anywho?"  
  
"Friday. Please be careful. Avoid coming if you can."  
  
She nodded. "You don't hurt yourself when I'm talking to you, not as much. That's why I come."  
  
He nodded. "But Harry would never forgive me if I turned you..."  
  
"Yes, he would. He knows that you'd never hurt me on purpose. I'll be here, and I'll be prepared just in case you don't get the door closed in time. Night, Remy. Sweet dreams."  
  
She drew the cloak over her head and went out the door, not knowing that all Remy dreamed of was the full moon, and those dreams weren't dreams at all... 


	7. Hear No Evil

Chapter Seven  
  
Their first Quidditch game was in November, and it was with Hufflepuff. Joy. Hufflepuff's weakness was with its Chasers. The Seeker, Mark Corey, was pretty decent, but not as good as the Slytherin Seeker. She had later heard from Justin that Raphael had been indeed replaced by his cousin. They played Slytherin second, and that was sometime past Christmas. She'd have to show the Frenchy how good she was. Maybe he'd leave her the heck alone. In the past few days, he hadn't said much to her, but the glares that he gave her said enough. She hadn't seen much of Raphael, either, which was very odd. It seemed that his cousin ran him down from his throne of power. She didn't even see him in the Great Hall during meals. It was very strange.  
  
They had plucked a few kids out from the second and third year group, and they'd scramble themselves amongs the young players and have a game. Lilus spent her time trying to do some on-field teaching, showing the kids to keep their eyes and ears wide open. The Red Seeker from before, a kid named Kyle Jasin, had made it, along with a third year named Taylor Pulin. They were both pretty nice kids, with just the right stuff for a Seeker. They caught on almost immediately and were eager to see the upcoming match against Hufflepuff. Kyle and Taylor were definately going to make her proud when she left Hogwarts.  
  
The harassment from Frenchy was beginning to really sink in, and she kept trying to pry it out of her before it took root. She had seen Raphael what...three times during the last week, and during those three times, he had been by himself in some secluded area, staring off into space. She had not tried to talk to him. He was her enemy of six years, and she wasn't about to go goody goody on him now. He still picked on Jason a lot, though. That was one habit that he didn't grow out of. Jason didn't seem to be taking it harshly though. He found it kind of funny that Malfoy still threatened and insulted him without his group. Jason was having a really bad time with Frenchy. Everyone was grateful that they weren't picking on Kimmy, Diego, and Casey, although to pick on Diego was to have a death wish. Diego barely got into Gryffindor. He hated Slytherins, though, but he could rumble with the best of them, Malfoy included. This new Frenchy guy might propose a danger to him, though.  
  
Lilus was patrolling the halls about twenty minutes before curfew, looking for something to think about. She was going to go see Remy that night, but she had some time to kill, and she could do her Potions essay tomorrow. The chance of getting caught by a Slytherin was high, but she was prancing about with her cloak about her and ready to become silent should she feel the need. That was the only bad thing about his office, being this close to the Slytherin House. She still managed to sneak past them all when they went out to look for unsuspecting students.  
  
Frenchy had an Invisible Cloak. She had become a little paranoid about that, wondering if he was around every turn of the place. If she was caught, she'd get detention with McGonagall. McGonagall was a strict lady, and she was nice, but not fun to have detention with. Lilus leaned against the wall, sliding slowly down it until she sat on the floor.   
  
"You inferior fool!" came a sharp hiss from around the corner.  
  
Lilus didn't dare move. It was Frenchy, and if he was in his invisibility cloak, she didn't want to run into him. She stayed really still.  
  
"Release me, Alexander! I am the Dark Lord's servant, not yours!"  
  
Something was slammed into the wall, and there was an oomf!   
  
"I am his servent too, cousin. You are disobeying your orders...and that deserves death."  
  
"Get off of me," she heard Malfoy growl. "You touch me again, and I'll..."  
  
Frenchy slammed him into the wall again. "You'll what? You haven't said a cross word to that girl yet. You are supposed to be putting her down as much as you can this year! She is supposed to be depressed, not getting stronger!"  
  
"I don't take orders from you, Alex. Let go of me," he said, his voice low. "You may be a Death Eater, but you're not him."  
  
"I may be his right hand sooner or later, coz. I suggest you start following your orders before your father finds out that you haven't."  
  
Lilus felt sick. They were talking about Death Eaters and Voldemort. What was happening? Was Frenchy really a Death Eater? What were the orders? Who were they talking about? Was it her or someone else?  
  
She heard the picture swing open, and both boys walk inside, more like one was being pulled inside by the other. Malfoy was growling at his cousin. Lilus peered around the corner and saw that both boys had indeed gone inside. She hurried to Remy's office, but she didn't tell him what had happened. She wasn't sure if she was afraid to tell him or what, but she didn't say a word about it. They talked like old friends, discussed her friends and school, and that's it. Nothing about her eyes. Nothing out of the ordinary.  
  
When she was walking back, it was sometime around midnight. She had no clue that such a short-lasting conversation could last so long. When she got back inside, she found herself alone in the room, all except Jason, who was reading his Potions notes. She was kind of surprised. The other years, he hadn't devoted this much time to his school, but it had been a wacky year so far, so why not start with a hyperactive American?  
  
He looked up at her and waved. "Hey, sweet-heart. Lupin fine?" he asked, grinning his trademark grin.  
  
She nodded and sat down on the couch, rubbing her head. Jason put down his notes, and all of a sudden, he appeared right beside her. Darn Americans. She couldn't take an eye off of him for a second.   
  
"Headache?" he asked, putting his arm around her shoulder and rubbing her back.   
  
She nodded again.   
  
"Did Frenchy get you?" he asked, savoring the name Frenchy before moving on to the last two words.  
  
"Sort of. I heard him and Malfoy talking in the hallway. Malfoy doesn't like his cousin at all. They spoke about," she paused, rubbing her head some more. "Death Eaters and Voldemort. When I was coming out of Remy's, I got a really bad headache."  
  
Jason pointed to the boys' dormatories. "You want me to go get Justin?"  
  
She shook her head. "No, I just...need some sleep. It's been a long day."  
  
Jason hugged her. "If you need to talk about anything, remember the insane American who named his cat after Star Wars, okay? Nighty night, chica."  
  
She smiled and hugged him back. "I will. Night, Talon."  
  
"Want me to accompany you to your bed?" he said innocently.  
  
Lilus laughed. "I don't think Lindsey would like you drooling on her, Talon. Nice try."  
  
"Damn it..."  
  
She chuckled as she went upstairs, rubbing her head the entire way. You had to love Jason. He was just...so lovable. He was cute in a very strange way. She was certain that maybe he had some kind of sense in him, and she had looked, but that was in their third year, and she had given up since then. What had those two Slytherins meant? Why were they talking like Voldemort was alive? Why did they speak of Death Eaters? Voldemort was dead. He was dead. He was dead. Her father would never lie to her about something like that. The Slytherins were just pretending so they could feel important. It wasn't real. It couldn't be real.  
  
Lilus couldn't sleep that night. She tried. She kept tossing and turning, but she couldn't sleep. She wasn't afraid. She was just...well...afraid. Maybe she was, but she couldn't sleep. She couldn't go back to Remy. He was probably in bed. McGonagall would listen to her, but then she'd give her detention. Snape was out of the question. She'd write her parents and tell them. No, her dad would flip. She wanted to tell someone.  
  
There was just no one to tell.  
  
She was alone in a school of God only knows how many students. She was in her pajamas and lying on her bed, but sleep wouldn't come to her. There was no one who she could speak to about this troublesome bit if information. She needed to get out.  
  
Not even bothering to put clothes on, she grabbed her cloak and threw it over her long, black shirt and dark blue pants. She was barefoot and heading down to the stadium. She needed to get out of the castle. This wasn't right. Something about the way they spoke things wasn't right. She...wanted to ask someone. She wanted answers. But there were no answers to something like that. There were no answers to something that weird. There...just weren't any at all.  
  
She slowly and carefully made her way down to the playing field, being wary of anything that moved. It felt good being outside. It felt really good.  
  
************************************  
  
The next morning, after probably no sleep, she was sitting in the Great Hall poking her food to mush, picking select piles of it to plop in her mouth. Justin prodded her gently in the ribs. With great effort, she looked up at him.  
  
"Lilus, something's wrong. Tell me what's wrong," he whispered in a demanding tone.  
  
She had decided that the Slytherins were just messing around. They weren't taking orders from Voldemort. It was from someone else, another Death Eater. Voldemort was, in fact, dead. He had been dead for longer than sixteen years. Those two boys weren't taking orders from Voldemort at all. It was just someone higher above then themselves.  
  
"I heard...Malfoy and Frenchy talking last night, while I was waiting for the clock to strike nine," she whispered. All the Weasleys heard the word Malfoy and turned to her. "They were talking about Voldemort and Death Eaters...and I started to wonder if he was..."  
  
Justin patted her on the back. "Voldemort's gone, Lilus. Forever."  
  
Jason nodded, his mouth full of food. "Mobimorz pon pon pon. Nsr eee immm garn." Translated: Voldemort's gone gone gone. Never see him again. More of Jason's incomprehensible speech. "Mmm ao kobr." ("Damn, no cobbler.")  
  
"Yeah, no cobbler, Jason! You ate it all, remember! Did you see how those Ravenclaw girls looked at you when you practically jumped on that dish?!" Nick laughed loudly, causing faces to stare from further down the table.  
  
Baker smiled from across the table. "Voldemort's not real anymore. He's as real as Jason with a brain. ("Hey! I have a brain! I just haven't found it yet!") Even if he was alive, your dad would take him out again, right? It's no sweat. I don't think Uncle Harry would want you to be worrying about that sort of thing while you're at school."  
  
Lilus rubbed her eyes and smiled weakly. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But still, that was the weirdest thing I've ever heard from a Slytherin, guys."  
  
"Don't worry about it, Lil. We can protect you from anything!" Charlie spoke out happily. "Except for Diego. I really don't know if we can save you from him."  
  
Diego sent a rude hand gesture in his direction, grinning eerily. He then became interested in the cherry pie that was down the table.  
  
This was her family at meal time. This was her family. She had a family. Why should she be homesick when her family was right here. She had no clue where she'd be without these guys. She loved them too, even Shawn. He was part of her family. He took care of her and the others just like they took care of each other. They were a family. They wouldn't let anything bad happen to her.  
  
"Thanks guys," she whispered, but no one heard her for the conversation had switched to how awesome her father was when he killed Voldemort and how many ways there were to kill Voldie.  
  
Jason poked her hard in her ribs. She looked in his direction, but instead of focusing on him, she focused on the doors. There was Malfoy, standing just behind his cousin, his head bowed humbly. There were rings under his eyes, and he looked like he'd been beaten. Frenchy stood two inches taller than his cousin, but that was because Malfoy was hunched over in shame. She had never seen him look that bad.  
  
The two boys made their way casually over to the Slytherin table, and Malfoy sat down beside his cousin. She could heard Frenchy try and get him to eat, but all of a sudden, Malfoy seemed in shock and wouldn't touch any sort of food or drink. She suddenly felt sick. Malfoy looked like he was in shock. One of his eyes was slightly black, and she could see a bruise rising out of his robes onto his neck. That beating had been more merciless than she had expected. She felt bad for not interfering. Malfoy may have deserved such a beating, but not by the hands of a Slytherin, and especially his cousin.  
  
"Lilus, you look sick. Are you okay?"  
  
She felt like she was going to throw up what little food she had eaten that morning. Everything from the night's conversation rushed back to her and hit her hard in her stomach. The way Malfoy looked wasn't right. It looked as if he had not put up any sort of fight. Then it dawned on her. The Slytherins. His group had turned on him. They had held him while Frenchy or whoever had beaten him, and one of them probably stole a healing ointment from Madame Pomfrey. But his shock wasn't inflicted by physical pain. He looked like a father who's daughter just told him that she'd bedded everyone in a six-hundred square mile radius. He just looked...completely in shock.  
  
What did they talk about once inside the safety of the Slytherin Common Room? What had gone on? What would she have seen if she had followed them inside without being caught? What would she know now?  
  
"Lilus. Lilus! Look at me!"  
  
She wasn't sure whose voice that was, all she knew was that she suddenly felt like she was going to faint, so she stood up and staggered out of the Great Hall. Justin and Jason stood up and ran after her. Shawn watched the Slytherin table carefully, and he saw Frenchy point his finger at three boys, three rather large boys, causing them to stand up and leave.  
  
He stood up, and he followed as well.  
  
Lilus collapsed somewhere near the Fat Lady. Hell, she didn't know if it was the Fat Lady; she just knew that it was a big painting. She leaned against the wall and pressed her forehead to the cold surface, breathing harshly. She felt sick, so sick. Her body wanted to throw up, but her mind was keeping it all down. She should have said something. She should have stopped Frenchy from beating his cousin. She should have stopped him. She should have done SOMETHING. Lilus had no clue why she was all of a sudden going protective on Malfoy. He had mistreated her friends, her family for five years, and now she was growing a conscience toward him. He deserved every bit that he got, but it should have been a Gryffindor or Ravenclaw that gave it to him, not a Slytherin. Not a Slytherin.  
  
That wasn't right.  
  
"Lilus! Lilus! Lil, are you okay?" Justin said, sprinting towards her.  
  
"Malfoy...did you see him?! He looked like he was beaten up! And all I can say is that Slytherins did it," she whispered hoarsely. "I should have made a noise. I should have saved him. He didn't deserve that beating."  
  
Justin grabbed her by her shoulders and shook her. Jason took her face in his hands and patted it softly.  
  
"Look at me. Focus, Lilus. FOCUS DAMMIT! LOOK AT ME! That's it. Look at me. We are here. It's okay. Whatever you saw or heard or whatever, it's okay. Malfoy probably ticked off a buncha the wrong girls. You know how he sleeps around. He probably made them mad. See? That's all it was. Just a bunch of evil Slytherin chicas who got revenge on Malfoy. Look at me. It's okay. It's okay. Look at me. Chica, see? You're okay?"  
  
She wrapped her arms around Justins neck and tried to stand on two legs. It took her a while, but she accomplished it. Jason always knew how to turn stuff down.  
  
"He probably found out that one of dem was a transvestite or something. It's okay. Nothing's really wrong with him. Why the hell do you care anyway?" Jason said, letting her lean on his shoulder.  
  
She shook her head. The sickness was gone now, and in its place was a void. She felt so empty.  
  
"I think I neeeeed a nap," she said, running her fingers through her hair.  
  
"Yeah, you probably do," Jason said, "since you stayed up all damn night at the Quidditch field. I know you love the game, chica, but that's not...good."  
  
Justin looked shocked. "You stayed up all night? Lilus! What were you doing down there?" he asked firmly.  
  
Jason shooed him away. "She just sat on the grass and looked at the sky. She wasn't doing anything. For all I know, she could have gone to sleep out there. She's okay, now, right?"  
  
"I'm okay," she whispered.  
  
"Not anymore, Shedevil," they heard the voice laugh.  
  
Shedevil. She was a Shedevil. She was a devil.  
  
They all looked up to see the three boys that Frenchy had sent after them. All of them were Justin's size and about twice as thick. Justin narrowed his eyes at them.  
  
"Lookie, lookie. Shedevil's got the angels on her side. Too bad, guess we'll just have to get rid of them too," the one on the left chuckled.  
  
Shedevil. She'd show them Shedevil!  
  
Jason drew his wand, and Lilus suddenly knew why he was writing down every spell that he knew. Those weren't his Potions notes, those were his spells. He had been studying hexes and jinxes, charms and incantations. He was prepared for this. She turned to look at her friend and suddenly felt strong enough to stand by herself. She drew her want out of her robes, and Justin drew his.  
  
"Locomotor Mortis!" shouted the boy on the right, aiming his wand at Jason.  
  
"You used the wrong spell, you moron!" the middle one shrieked. "He can still cast!"  
  
Jason's legs smacked together, and he would have toppled over if Lilus hadn't caught him. She nodded at Justin.  
  
"Petrificus Totalus!" they both cried at the same time, each wand aimed at a different boy.  
  
The one in the middle found that he was the only one left as the two on his left and right's bodies became as rigid as boards. They fell backwards, and he glared at them with pure hatred in his eyes.  
  
"Stupefy!" he screeched, his wand aimed at Lilus.  
  
It was like another Bludger hit her. Her wand flew out of her hand, and she shot backwards, landing on the floor with a thud. Jason aimed his wand at her.  
  
"Enervate!" he cried.  
  
Lilus stood up again, and all of a sudden they both heard "Petrificus Totalus!" from behind the last boy.  
  
This boy fell forward, seeing as Shawn pushed him in that direction. They cheered, and Shawn took a sweeping bow. Justin muttered the counter spell of Jason's predicament. Jason patted him on the shoulder like he had known him forever.  
  
"Thanks, buddy! I really wouldn't have liked it if I had to walk around school all day like a penguin," he said, walking over to the Slytherin that had cursed him and kicking him in the side.  
  
Lilus sat on the ground next to Shawn, rubbing her back. He hugged her gently, and she hugged him back. He was silent.  
  
"Hey, that was pretty awesome stuff, Nikodemus. Thanks," she said, smiling at him.  
  
He smiled in return, but said nothing. Now this was the Nikodemus that she knew. Silent and cool. He stood up and helped her up. Justin came up with Jason still talking away.  
  
"Damn Slytherins. You all are like gnats! You never go away! And there's too many of yah!" he yelled at the three boys, before going off into another rant again.  
  
"We better be heading back before Diego conjures up an army of rats to come searching for us," Justin said, grabbing Jason and shoving him in the direction of the Great Hall.  
  
Of course, Jason didn't notice. He just kept walking and ranting on Slytherin numbers, and how they should all be put in cages, every last one of them. . They entered the Great Hall with ten minutes to spare. They sat down, and Lilus did not feel sicked at Frenchy's horrified glare. She stuck her tongue out and flipped him her beautiful bird finger in his direction.  
  
Diego was sitting there, picking his teeth with a knife. He smiled at them when they came to sit down.  
  
"Did you seeee? The way he looked when you came in? It was worth a heart or two," he said between picks.  
  
A heart or two was his expression for a glance or two, meaning it had been hilarious.  
  
"Yeah, he looks like he's about to jump into the table and yell, 'You little babies! I eat babies like you for lunch!' That scrawny fool," Nick said, holding his hand in front of one of his eyes and squishing the boy in the distance between his fingers. "Die, bastard, die!"  
  
Charlie laughed and so did Diego at Nick's little stunt. Lilus sat down and nodded to her gang that she was okay, while everyone began to listen to Jason and started to talk about how annoying Slytherins were, in plain earshot of the Slytherins. Justin forbade her to turn around and look at Malfoy, and he told Shawn and Jason to make sure she didn't look at him during Potions.  
  
Lilus ate what she could, stuffing her face until it was time to go, trying to make that void leave. It did, and her panic attack fully resided. After that, she belched nice and heartily, and Jason applauded her while tears of joy rolled down his cheeks. He claimed that he taught her well, and the boys were happy that she joined them in their belching championship. There was no modesty when you were with the Weasley gang. When they were finally full and ready to go, all of them left to go grab their things, noting the still body-binded Slytherins in the hall, and school commenced. That day was a good day, and Lilus Potter enjoyed it. 


	8. Truth Hurts

***Isn't Jason cute? lol. Well, I think he is, personally. Wish I had a guy like that. Thanks for the reviews, people! Keep them coming! Enjoy!***  
  
Chapter 8  
  
It was amazing of what you thought about when you were asleep. Your mind was transformed with the curiousity and innocence of a child, and suddenly, one prefered the sandbox over the box of gold. Lilus remembered her sandbox, and now, still sleeping, she was watching herself play in it with a shovel and a bucket, building sandcastles higher than herself.  
  
To be a child again...  
  
To be that happy and carefree...  
  
It was a dream that she suddenly had trouble remembering now. They say that when you're so old, you can no longer remember the days when you were content with a brightly colored ball or a fuzzy teddy bear. She wasn't that old, yet she was forgetting them anyway. It took a great deal of strain just to remember her sandbox and the terror that Crookshanks drove her into when he came around the corner. When you were young, everything around you was so large and curiously entertaining.  
  
Her mother had these two old marble geese that sat on the back of their sink. Lilus learned how to do the dishes by playing with them. She loved playing in the water. Eventually the geese became replaced with squeezable sponges that oozed white suds out of them, warm, wet, bubbles. She was just three. Bubbles were so big and pretty and just begged to be popped. Soap bars were another intriguing toy to be messed with. When it was dry, it was no fun, but when it was wet, it was everywhere.  
  
Some fun was measured by how much trouble you got into whenever Mom or Dad found out about it, like bringing a quarter of the sand in the sandbox into the house to play with Crookshanks when he wouldn't leave the house. It had seemed alright to do that, but it had not been. Crookshanks was mad at her for a long time. And then, there was the time when trying on Mommy's clothes and jewelry became the coolest thing in the world. Anything shiny was fun. Anything that sparkled was beautiful. Colors were pretty. Everything was so happy.  
  
Television was the biggest thing that had ever happened to her. Saturday morning cartoons amused her to no end, and she kept thinking that if she broke the television screen, they'd hop out and play with her. They'd be just as alive as she was, and they would be new friends to play with. Back then when her eyes were just ordinary brown, not yet glowing red. Many a time had she tried to bust through it with something heavy, like a skillet or her father's broomstick, but her plans were foiled when a very shocked parent grabbed the object away before she could clang against the glass.   
  
She remember her first trip to the zoo, a Muggle zoo, but still fun and exciting to a five year old. She had held her Daddy's and Mommy's hand the entire way, except when she rushed to look at the monkeys. That was the only time she had let go. To see the monkeys. Those adorable monkeys. She wanted to take one home.  
  
Innocence...pure innocence.  
  
Learning to swim was always fun. They had that pond in their backyard, and it was deep enough to be a swimming pool. Her dad could stand in it at one end, but he sunk under at the other end. She loved swimming. She loved water. She loved the feeling of suspended flight that she felt when she stopped moving in the water. She loved that little pond.  
  
She adored Hedwig. That owl was so big and beautiful and soft. It was...amazing that the creature could live that long, but that bird was not going anywhere soon. She had a lot of fight left in her.  
  
All these wonderful thoughts, and Lilus had to strain to see them again. It was hard remembering the things that should just come to her.  
  
Meeting Justin. She met Justin when she was one. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had gotten together for a sort of reunion, and she met Justin seconds afterward. She also met Baker, Nick, and Charlie. The others had not yet been born. She remembered that Nick would not share any of his toys with her at first, because he had never seen her before and wasn't kind to strangers. Plus, she was a girl. He had only been used to boys being around. Justin shared. He shared his toy broom and his racing cars. Charlie soon joined their play with Baker, who was desperately clutching a teddy bear. Nick came later, and this time, he shared, seeing his new friend and playmate.  
  
She had gotten the hunch when she was somewhere around seven. She started foretelling things, small things and very rarely, but she could. It was just an instinct that she had developed. It was just a sense. She could sense Crookshanks coming around a corner. She could sense when her mother was about to call dinner. She could just think about things and know. A few months afterwards, it faded a little, and she no longer relied on that but relied on the raw curiousity that came.  
  
Thunderstorms had scared her to death, more than Crookshanks. She'd rush crying into her parents room with Crookshanks pawing at her feet softly for cat-Kneazle comfort. She was welcomed with sleepy but open arms, and then, all of a sudden, nothing was wrong again. She felt so safe lying there in her parents' bed with either of them on both side of her and Crookshanks at her feet. She'd fall asleep often wondering why she had run in there in the first place.  
  
Then came the family picnics. The Thomas's, the Weasleys, and the Potters would all come together to have huge picnics and fun and games. So much smiling. She'd have friends to play with, and she could always horse around with her Mommy and Daddy. There was so much fun! And afterwards, when every last child had fallen asleep in the dirt, the adults would scoop them out and take them home.  
  
She loved them. She loved her home. She loved everything about her life, except for those red eyes, but they weren't so bad without the jokes and names that she was called at school.   
  
When she met Remy...oh the fun. She had no clue how, but she just clicked with the stranger that walked through their door one afternoon. She remembered him being so tall. He had gray-brown hair and gray eyes. His clothes were tattered, but they seemed to fit him perfectly. She was really little then. She wasn't sure if she even knew how to count. All she remembered was that her big eyes met his, and it was just there. She couldn't even say his name. Remus. How hard was Remus? Re-mus. Ree-muss. Not hard at all, but the only thing that would come out of her mouth was Remy, so it stuck. He was Remy Lupin, her godfather.   
  
She remembered him telling her that he had been a little surprised that Harry named him as her godfather, but Harry had told him that he trusted Remus a lot, and he wanted her to have sort of a grandfather-figure. And Remus would know a little more about how to keep her safe than Ron or Ginmy would. Remy helped her with a lot of things. He had been picked on because of his wolfishness. She was picked on for her eyes. It just clicked.  
  
Jason had been a funny fellow to meet. Her first year Hogwarts, she had met him on the train. He was playing around with his wand, mumbling stupid incantations that made his wand send fireworks from the tip of it just for fun. He had always been such a goofball, but he was good to have around in a sad time. He could cheer you up just like that.  
  
Meeting Shawn. He was part of the Quidditch team. They had tried out at the same time and were so happy to have gotten places on it. When she wrote her father about him, he said he remembered Neville, Shawn's dad. It was sort of coincidence, but it was a really good friendship.  
  
Her family. Her past. Filled with memories that she struggled to recall. It would be hard, but she vowed to never lose them, even if she had to write every last one down in a diary or something. She'd never lose her childhood.  
  
And that's when she woke up.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Hogsmeade was always a fun place. Lilus, Jason, and Justin, along with the others Weasley and the two twins. Their first stop was Zonko's like always, and they stocked up on random supplies that they'd use to terrorize Hogwarts. Most of their pranks had been postponed because of Frenchy, but Diego was cooking up something big, and he was keeping it a surprise from everyone. They could only pray that they weren't part of it. After they had done their joy shopping there, they went down to Dervish and Banges and bought ink and parchment for school. Last but not least, definitely not least, was Honeydukes. Lilus bought ten Chocolate frogs and five Every Flavor Beans (Remy's favorite. Not that he told her, she just knows.) She wasn't sure if Snape liked them, but she had heard from someone from the Order that he liked Chocolate Frogs, so that's what she bought him. He didn't seem to mind, but then again, he didn't know who they were coming from either. He's probably gripe her out for trying to bribe good marks from him, but she had been doing this for a few years now, and she didn't need his sympathy or help to pass that class with the highest mark possible.  
  
They sat in the Three Broomsticks, chugging butterbeer and laughing. Just having a good time. Jason was asleep next to her. He had downed too much candy from Honeydukes and was now trying to get rid of it via the all time cure of sleep. Justin was sitting quietly, laughing at the feeble attempts at getting Diego's secret out. The Slytherins, Voldemort, and homesickness were the last thing on her mind right now. She was too worried about Diego's big secret, and they had been trying to get it out of him the for past twenty minutes.  
  
"Oh, come on, guys. He already said that he wasn't going to do it on us, and he's not going to disclose anything else. Change the conversation!" she squealed.  
  
Charlie shook his head. "I think he's lying."  
  
Diego shook his head too. "I'm not lying. I swear I'm not going to pull it on you guys. I would never dream of..."  
  
"There was that time you made twenty dungbombs explode in our room!" Nick yelled, laughing hysterically.  
  
"And those flying mice in my room," Justin added.  
  
"Not to mention the bewitched bowling balls in mine...," Baker said, narrowing his eyes at Diego.  
  
The fifteen year old raised his hands, and Kimmy laughed. "Okay, okay, okay! You guys got me. But this one isn't on you. It's on the French boy. You know, him. Malfoy's evil cousin."  
  
Everyone gasped and looked around to see if there were any Slytherins in the room. There were none.  
  
"Are you serious!?" Nick squeaked.  
  
"He'll murder you!"  
  
"Frenchy's a little too big for you, Diego," Lilus said, "don't you think?"  
  
Diego leaned on his elbows, his freely hanging firey hair falling over his shoulders, and his dark eyes flashing. "Of course not. It's really just a little prank, that's all."  
  
"Oh, Diego, you're killing us! Tell us what it is!" Kimmy begged.  
  
Diego shook his head. "Nope. Not gonna. Sorry, guys. Forget it."  
  
There was an awwwwww in disappointment, but other than that, it was forgotten, at least in the conversation. It shifted to Frenchy himself.  
  
"I wonder what he's got up his ass that's making him so grumpy," Jason said, finally awake from his nap.  
  
"Probably someone's shoe from another school," Baker laughed, nearly falling out of his seat. "I'd give anything to be the kid that put it there."  
  
Kimmy made an eww noise, and Lilus leaned back in her chair, tired from their exhausting day. Finally a weekend. She had all that time to herself. All her homework was done, except for that pesky Potions report, but she'd do that later. What a procrastinator. She slowly drifted off into dreamland, not really caring that she was in the middle of a group of nearly yelling friends. It didn't matter that much really. She had a knack at falling asleep in strange places, when she fell asleep somewhere other than her bed. She wasn't asleep for very long, because when she woke, they were still talking about Frenchy and no one had noticed that she had gone to sleep.  
  
"Dammit!" she woke up muttering. Curse all the infernal noise. If anyone could wake her, they could.   
  
There was silence as everyone looked at her. Lilus didn't curse frequently, but when she did under this circumstances, it was hilarious. Or so they thought. Everyone snickered and went back to talking.   
  
"He just needs to quit picking on Lilus," Justin noted sincerely.  
  
Diego glanced at Kimmy, and she had been the only one to notice. She knew the looked Diego had in his eyes very clearly. Fear. Revenge. She couldn't see Kimmy very well, but that didn't stop her from wondering what that glance was about. She'd interrogate later. There was a creek as the door opened, and then a loud greeting, directed to herself.  
  
She glanced over at the third year Seeker-in-training. Taylor Pulin. He was a spiky, brown-haired boy with dark brown eyes. He ran over to them, with three of his little buddies.   
  
"Hey, Tay!" Short and stupid, but he loved it. "How are you? Enjoying Hogsmeade?" she said, as the conversation of their table died to inspect the intruders.  
  
"Yeah, it's really awesome. We just went by the joke shop. That was fun," he said happily. "We heard that the Marauders were the pranksters of the school, and we want to help out."  
  
He had Jason's enthusiasm with Justin's calmness, but then again, when you hung out with this kind of variety of people, there was always a personality to mix with another one. Taylor was a really fun kid. He was sweet and suave at the same time.   
  
"Well," sighed Lilus, pointing her finger at Diego from across the table. "He's the king, actually. I'm just here for the leading position because I have the Map. It's hereditary."  
  
"Oh, well. If you ever want new members, just call, okay?"  
  
"Okay, we will," she said, waving to them as they ran out of the pub. She then turned to Diego and hissed, "Don't you dare pull anything on him yet. He's my oldest Seeker, and I'll string you up by your toes if you keep him from Quidditch."  
  
Of course, everyone knew that it was a deaf threat, but Diego promised he wouldn't do anything to Taylor. Jason grinned as the little boy left.  
  
"What a munchkin. He's short!"  
  
Lilus nodded. "Yeah, but he's got reflexes after my own heart."  
  
Jason all of a sudden looked horrified. "Oh, geez, Lilus! Did you spawn already?"  
  
Spawn wasn't taken as an insult. He used it with everyone, even before he met her. She tossed her empty butterbeer bottle in his direction, and he caught it before it could hit the wall. Everyone laughed and ended the day in the pub.  
  
Going back to Hogwarts was as smooth as it should have been. There was no commotion from Frenchy or Malfoy, who they knew had gone on the trip as well. Her friends had tried their hardest to make her forget about her little run in with them. So far, they had done a very good job.  
  
Bed was comforting, but she decided not to put that damn Potions report off any longer. She sat up late with an anti-melting candle hovering over her Potions book. She loved potions in general, but Snape made that class a nightmare. He had a long time to perfect his arts obviously. It was a good essay, but she had to do a little extra research on the Venemous Tentacula. Darn herbs and plants. She wrote small, much like her mother, with a simple yet elegant handwriting. In possibly an hour, she had gotten done her report (which was about twice as long as it should have been) and finally rid herself of her homework for the weekend.  
  
Joy...  
  
"Lil, are you still up? Good grief. Put that thing out! It's gonna keep me up all night otherwise!" Lindsey squealed as she walked in the door.  
  
"Sure," Lilus said, plucking the candle from out of the air and putting it on her nightstand, blowing it out in doing so. She watched as Lindsey, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, clad in only her teddy bear pajamas, tried to brush the wet tangles out of her long hair. "How's Anna?"  
  
Lindsey smiled and tried to wrench the brush free. "She's great. She's doing her homework in the Common Room. Will you come here and help me?" By the last sentence, she was pleading.  
  
Lilus laughed, closed her book, and moved over to Lindsey's bed. She hopped on it and took the hairbrush out of her hands.   
  
"Linds, what do the other Gryffindors think of me?" Lilus suddenly blurted out while brushing her friend's pretty hair.  
  
Lindsey shrugged. "The Gryffindors adore you being their most prized Seeker since...uh forever."  
  
"Beside that. What do they think of me as a person?"  
  
Linds sat quietly for a few minutes. "Well, you scare the first years, but they don't know you. The second years that play Quidditch think you're okay. Third years are pretty cool with you. Fourth years same way. Fifth years are okay. And so are the rest."  
  
The way she spoke was...how to say...very...solumn and hiding.  
  
"They're all afraid, right?"  
  
Lindsey sighed. "Yeah...most of them are, but they know that you won't hurt them. You protect the little one's, Lil. Especially after Raphael did that to Justin's little sister," there was a sharp intake of breath. "That was low. After that, anyways, they weren't as scared of you, but a lot of them still are. Your eyes...glow in the dark."  
  
Lilus laughed. Who needed a candle? "Yeah, I know. I wish I could get rid of them."  
  
Lindsey smiled and turned around on her bed to talk. "So, are you and Jason together?"  
  
There was a hint of awwwww in her voice, but it was quickly trampled on. "No."  
  
"Awww, Lilus. Why not? He likes you. That's plain."  
  
Lilus grinned. "He likes you too."  
  
Lindsey looked sad and pitiful. "Yeah, but you know, me and that...seventh year Ravenclaw. We're thinking about staying together."  
  
"Yeah. I'm probably going to go to the Holloween Ball with him, considering that he never has his own date," Lilus said sadly.  
  
Lindsey looked at the bed. "That poor kid. He's so cute and funny though. I love his accent."  
  
Another chuckle. "I love it too. Have you ever heard him when he's asleep? It's so funny..."  
  
Lindsey smiled, her beautiful blue eyes twinkling. She had such a nicely shaped face. She was like Kimmy, good-looking, but Kimmy didn't sleep around. Kimmy had never slept with anyone, come to think of it. A lot of the Weasleys hadn't. She knew Nick and Baker had, but just once. It's really interesting what comes out during a nice butterbeer overdose.  
  
"No. I'll have to listen to him sometime. Did you know he sleeps in the Common Room? Like...almost every night. He's always in there by himself," the blonde whispered.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"I heard from Nick that he has a lot of nightmares. He sleeps out there to avoid waking anyone else. Someone said, or so I heard, that even because he was Muggle-born, he might be a developing Seer. Isn't that weird?"  
  
"A Seer?"  
  
"Yeah, you know. A Seer." Her voice became really hushed, then all of a sudden, it went back into porportion. "Where the heck is Anna?!"  
  
Lilus laughed and crawled into her own bed, carefully scooping the book off into her bag, along with parchment, quill, and ink bottle. She slid under her blankets still snickering lightly, but then her world went black. Lilus felt her stomach churn later that night. She sat up in bed, staring around the room in a dead panic before she remembered where she was. She sighed and drew her hand up to rub her forehead. It was dark in their room, but she still had no problem navigating her way to the door. She wanted to know if what Lindsey said was true.  
  
And it was.  
  
Jason was sprawled out on the couch, but both his legs were slung over the back, and his head was propped on the lone chair that he had pulled closer. His arms were dangling off to the sides, and there was a large pond of drool next to his head. Lilus walked down the stairs slowly, inspecting him carefully as if she had never seen her friend before. He was snoring lightly, and that became present when she sat down on the couch next to him. He was wearing teddy bear pajamas too. She smiled, but she didn't laugh, not wanting to wake him. Jason had been known to be a light sleeper and a heavy sleeper, and she wasn't one to wake him during a light mood.   
  
His hair was messy, and his light-tanned skin was very bronze in the firelight. He was cute, but still, he was Jason. For a long time, she just sat and watched him, wondering what he was dreaming about. Then he started to talk.  
  
"No..."  
  
It wasn't in the southern accent like it had been before.  
  
"Nnnnn...nooooo..."  
  
It wasn't loud. On the contrary, it was something just above a whisper. She listened contently, drawing her knees to her chest and resting her chin on them.  
  
"L..eave her alone."  
  
Was her friend becomming a Seer? Would be be able to tell the future like Professor Trelawney or Professor Firenze?  
  
"No...leave him alone..."  
  
She sat silently, but suddenly, she had the urge to reach out to him and touch his face, although it would probably kill him to awake to glowing red eyes.  
  
"Leave her alone. Don't! No!"  
  
He choked on the last word, and then he fell dormant again.  
  
"Jason...," she whispered, not really trying to call him. It just slipped.  
  
He didn't awake, and she wasn't going to try to wake him. He suddenly shifted his position and rolled over to face her, still sleeping like a baby. She just sat. She just watched. She didn't move. She hardly dared to breathe. She just sat.  
  
What nightmares did he have?  
  
What was plaguing his mind?  
  
Why was it plaguing Jason?  
  
Her eagle Animagus friend?  
  
Why Jason? 


	9. Quidditch

Chapter 9  
  
Going to the Holloween Ball had not been as bad as she had thought. She had gone with Jason, and he was a really good dancer. He acted as if he was having dreams about naked women massaging his shoulders, but she knew that wasn't the case. He was a liar and a really good one at that. The facade he was wearing was so...so...real. He was acting so happy. She really didn't want to go to the ball, because no one was ever willing to go with her except Jason. She could always weasel out of it and hide in Remy's office under her Invisibility Cloak. Yet, Remy had changed that night, and he had warned her to stay away if she could. The potion that Snape continued to make for him wasn't being absorbed into Remy's body correctly. He was developing a tolerance against it. It had started probably last year, when she had come close to being bitten but still dared to keep him company. She had never told anyone, no teachers or anything. She knew it would get him in trouble. No harm was done, so why worry?  
  
Jason was a very good dancer. She mostly fumbled up, but he dealt with it quite nicely. Darn those dress robes. Well, it wasn't the dress robes. She just couldn't dance. She had watched Jason for a long time at night, but there had been no more strange sounds. She must have caught him at a lucky time. She had returned to sleeping in her own room for the entire night, although she still worried about what she had witnessed the one night that she felt the need to go down there.  
  
Diego was doing his ritual Quidditch dance, jumping around the Quidditch field the last practice before the game. It was just for the trainees to watch. Lilus and the original team were doing what they did best today. Lilus had caught the Snitch in record time before, ten minutes and seventeen seconds, nearly scaring the pants off of Malfoy. She had caught it four times in the last hour, and after that, she landed to break.  
  
"That was some really awesome flying, Lilus," Kyle said as she landed.  
  
She wiped the sweat from her brow and smiled. "Thanks."  
  
"How did you learn to fly like that?"  
  
"Father taught me," she said, whiping her forehead some more.  
  
Nick and Charlie suddenly flew down to her, panting like crazy. "Lil, we know that you're weak spot's Bludgers, so we need you to come train with us for a while."  
  
She nodded and mounted her broom again, surprisingly enjoying the three seconds of break that she had recieved. She flew up behind them, and they made a Monkey-In-The-Middle game out of it. She was the monkey. The twins flew around her, each bashing a Bludger in her direction. She took a few hits before she caught onto the gist of the game. The twins weren't being merciful on her either. They were hitting hard. Well, for good reason. Working out the kinks in her weakness and helping their aim.  
  
Her Seeker reflexes kicked in eventually, and she dodged them without getting hit. It was hard though. Charlie and Nick moved aside, letting their Bludgers fly behind them a good distance. Nick pulled the Snitch out of his pocket.  
  
"Now, catch this while we're doing that," he said very seriously.  
  
Lilus stared at the Snitch for a few minutes, then darted after it just as the Bludgers came back to the boys. The Snitch was extrodinary hard to catch that time, but it probably was tampered with by the twins to help with her training. Still, she would catch it, and she'd do so without breaking any bones. She flew after the Snitch, ducking barely from a Bludger sent by Charlie. Out of both twins, Charlie had the best aim, but they were both good. She reached out after it, but it shot away from her before she could grab it.  
  
Dang...  
  
She dove after it, and both Bludgers came crashing down against her back. She shot to the side, whimpering slightly from the hard blow that both of them had caused. She looked around for the Snitch again and saw the flicker of light under Diego, the Lord of the Underworld. She suddenly noticed the Bludger coming directly at her shoulder. She swirved upward, batting it away with the end of her broom. She flew on course again, aiming directly under Diego, who had just noticed that she was heading in his direction. She saw a Bludger out of the corner of her eye, and it too was aiming for the Snitch. So it seemed. She reached out just a few feet below Diego's broom and grabbed the buzzing little sphere. The Bludger swirved, slamming into her right shoulder while she was reaching for the Snitch. She was knocked sideways, losing her balance on her broom. The force knocked her off, and she could only hold one with one hand. Her left arm wasn't working. She tried to swing herself up onto her broom, but she wasn't balanced enough. Her hand was slipping and both of the Bludgers were coming for her again.  
  
She kicked herself down to the front of the broom, causing the end of it to tip downward and shoot in that direction. She kicked her leg hard and slid over the broomstick, Snitch clutched in hand and demented Bludgers after her. She flew nearly straight down, climbing slowly out of her freefall until she was about ten feet from the ground. Nick suddenly came up from her right and batted a Bludger away that she had not seen heading for her. Charlie came soon after, and both of them touched down.  
  
She nearly fell off her broom, panting and clutching her shoulder. "Crap...dammit! I think my shoulder's broken!"  
  
The Snitch dropped to the ground, and Nick scooped it up. "Yeah, maybe I did hit that Bludger too hard."  
  
Lilus kicked him in the shin, but not hard enough since he wasn't hopping up and down in pain. "No, Nick! I'm serious! I think it's broken!"  
  
Charlie looked at his brother and walked over to her. She dropped her trembling left arm and let him look at it. It wasn't bleeding, but a part of it had been pushed in farther than it should be.  
  
"God. That Bludger shoved her arm directly into the socket, its jammed in there good. Taylor, come here!" Taylor, who had shown great interest since she landed, rushed over and stood at attention. "Take her to the hospital wing. We're going to catch those Bludgers and find out what's wrong with them. Not even Nick can hit that hard."  
  
Taylor nodded and walked with Lilus as they left the Quidditch field.  
  
"Pretty good flying," he said.  
  
She looked at him and smiled weakly. "Yeah, thanks. Tell Kyle that I said to watch out for those damned Bludgers!"  
  
He laughed. "I think he already knows. But really, those were some very nice moves."  
  
They entered the castle and made their way through groups of people talking in the hallway. After delivering her to the hospital wing, Taylor turned to leave.  
  
"See you at practice. Hope Madam Pomfrey can fix you."  
  
He waved and was gone. Just as he closed the door, Madam Pomfrey herself popped up out of nowhere like she always did.  
  
"Oh. Too much Quidditch, Lilus?" she asked.  
  
Lilus and Madam Pomfrey had been on a first name basis since her second year, when all of her little gang had to be escorted to the hospital wing at least once each week. She still called her Madam though. Just to be polite.  
  
"Yeah. Charlie said I broke my shoulder."  
  
Madam Pomfrey lead her over to a chair and sat her down. She took off the Quidditch gear, leaving her deformed shoulder bare and painful. The old woman knew exactly what to do.  
  
"This is the first time you've been in here correct?"  
  
"Yes, Madam Pomfrey."  
  
"This is a nasty sting."  
  
Three spells later, and she was out of there. She did not like being in there. It was too plain. Too white.Madam Pomfrey had forbidden Quidditch for the rest of the day, which wasn't a problem since she was already done with her training ten times over. She sat down on the grass next to Kyle and Taylor.  
  
"Wow, back already?" Kyle asked in surprise.  
  
"Yup. Miss me?"  
  
"Of course we didn't," Taylor teased.  
  
Lilus lied on the ground and stared up at her friends, watching them zoom around on their brooms. Then she realized that Jason wasn't there. Where was Jason? She hadn't seen him since school ended.   
  
******************************  
  
Jason sat quietly in the library, reading a book on the table in the farthest corner from the door. He was not a resident of the library, but then again, the only one that was out of their gang was Casey. He flipped through the books carefully, inspecting the pages and writing down questions on a piece of Muggle paper with a pen. Questions that he wanted answers for. Escaping Lilus and the boys had been quite a challenge, but being quiet for the first thirty minutes and later slinking away proved useful.  
  
"Jason?"  
  
He turned around in his chair and shrank into it when he saw Lilus standing at the door. "Yeeeah?"  
  
Lilus sat down in the chair beside him, giving him a very questioning look. "What are you reading?"  
  
He picked up the book and showed her the cover. "Animagi. I...well...it's getting kind of old being the only Animagus around...and I was wondering if I brewed the potion...would...you...maybe...take it?"  
  
Lilus stared at him...stunned. "Well, where did...you get yours?"  
  
Jason grinned. "Found it in Diagon Alley."  
  
"Liar."  
  
"Okay, okay...I stole it from Snape."  
  
"Nice. I guess, but what makes you think I'm gonna drink whatever you brew? That...suicide right there! The last batch you made turned your quill into a lizard with pink legs!"  
  
Jason cowered playfully in his chair. "So...if YOU brew it will you take it?"  
  
Lilus slumped over onto the table. "I dunno. I really don't want to sprout feathers and a beak."  
  
Jason shook his head. "No. Each person transforms into something different. You could be a wolf or a lioness or something like that."  
  
"I dunno."  
  
"Aren't you even remotely curious?"  
  
She looked at him and smiled. "Of course I'm curious, but I don't want to end up going to the hospital wing because half my body is a fish and the other half a mouse."  
  
"Igh... Well, it doesn't really happen like that..." The American pushed in his chair and stood up. "Let's go somewhere safe to talk about it. I just saw Frenchy coming in the door."  
  
"Oh God."  
  
They both watched as the French boy walked across the library, neither him nor his minions noticing either of them. They just swooped and were gone, directly into the restricted section. Snape must have given them special permission.  
  
"Wow. That many?" she whispered as she and Jason huddled towards the door.  
  
"That's a lot, but you know Snape can be extremely generous to his House. Oh well. Let's go."  
  
Slowly, carefully, and quietly, they snuck out of the library and began to walk towards Remy's office.  
  
"Please, please, please. It's really boring...come on. Be curious and do it!"  
  
She scratched her back. "I dunno. Maybe before Christmas vacation. That way, I can get used to it without turning into something hideous in front of students."  
  
Jason seemed pleased with her answer. "Okay. Deal. I'll steal the ingredients from Snape later."  
  
Remy wasn't in the office, and almost at once, her hands went straight for the picture frame on the shelf. She had no clue why she liked it so much, but she did. It calmed her down to an extent that she would probably never realize. Jason tried to pluck it out of her hands repeatedly, and finally she handed it to him, and he inspected it curiously.  
  
"Who's these people?" he asked, poking at the boys.  
  
"The original Marauders."  
  
Jason's eyes suddenly got really big. The "Originals" as they called them, were role models to all of the Marauders. Remy being one, and every one of her friends made nearly perfect scores in his classroom. He pointed at one of the boys and tilted the picture slightly.  
  
"Moony?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Cool."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Who's the pug with glasses?"  
  
All Lilus could do was laugh, and it felt really good.  
  
*************************************  
  
The day of their big game. Gryffindor against Hufflepuff. After that game, it was just a few weeks until Christmas vacation. Then everything would be okay. She was suited up in her Quidditch gear and itching to fly. She stirred restlessly, still having a few minutes until the game started.  
  
"Calm down, Lilus. You're making me nervous," Charlie said, trying to whack his brother in the head with his bat.  
  
"Sorry," she whispered, grasping her broomstick tightly.  
  
Nick shoved his brother away and put a semi-comforting arm around her shoulder. "You gonna be okay?"  
  
"Yeah. I'm...just anxious."  
  
Quidditch. The first game. She'd have to put a good show on for the audience. They were all counting on her. She'd have to get that Snitch. Lilus stared at the ground and mounted her broom, hovering silently behind her friends.  
  
Justin slid on his robe and threw a rock at her. She glanced up quickly and smiled, sending him the thumbs up sign. He nodded and turned away to finish putting on his armor. Everyone was nervous. The room was very quiet with an exception for the constant rustling of cloth and clicking of armor.  
  
Jason, her friend, the Seer was in those stands out there, ready to cheer her and his friends on. She would have to win for him. She'd be praised and cheered on. She would be what made them win. She would win.  
  
Diego came up behind her. "Try to make the game last for twenty minutes at least, okay, Lil? Nothing for us to do if you don't," he said, patting her thigh. "You know? Just cruise around for a little bit and make sure Corey doesn't get the Snitch."  
  
She nodded and Diego mysteriously vanished like he always did. That kid had some strange qualities about him, but he was good for the most part. He did like to vanish unexpectedly though and pop up in places that no one knew were there. He loved scaring people.  
  
Shawn mounted his broom and flew next to her, patting her on the shoulder. "You alright?"  
  
"No," she said in a very low voice.  
  
"Tell me," he said softly.  
  
"Paranoid," she answered.  
  
He smiled and hugged her. They heard everyone outside being quieted, and everyone mounted their brooms. They lined up with Justin in the lead and Lilus in the rear. She was thinking to herself and waiting for their summoning call.  
  
"Everyone, do your best. Lilus, do what comes natural. Everyone, most of all, have fun," Justin said, sounding really cliche.  
  
"Shaddap, Justin. Everybody, WIN!" Baker yelled loudly.  
  
Most of them cheered, but Lilus and Shawn remained silent.  
  
Then it sounded.  
  
Justin burst through the doors and everyone followed, zooming out of the shack and scattering like gnats. She flew down to their goal posts and needled herself in and out of them, causing the Gryffindors to scream louder. Madam Hooch called them into position. Baker patted her on the shoulder as he flew past.  
  
Mark Corey was a very nice boy. He had dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. He was of medium build and decently intelligent. She had talked to him sometimes during classes, and he was really popular with the ladies. She smiled at him.  
  
"Have a good game, Mark!"  
  
"You too, Lilus!"  
  
The Quaffle was thrown into the air, and the game began. Lilus immediately rose high into the air, as did Mark. She knew he was trying to copy her style, but she wasn't exactly mimicable. For about two minutes, all she did was stare. Justin and the Chasers had hold of the Quaffle and were racing to Hufflepuff's goal. There was no Snitch noise. She looked far below onto the playing field and finally saw the golden flash. Mark must have seen it too, because they both were flying towards it as fast as their brooms were carrying them the next second.  
  
The Hufflepuff Beaters didn't make it their main purpose to knock her out with Bludgers, which was a good thing, considering that she broke her shoulder in her match with Nick and Charlie. The Snitch was moving extra fast. Nick and Charlie must have forgotten to unjinx it. Oh well. She'd still catch it. She stopped a little before Mark did and looked skyward. She saw it buzzing around Gryffindor's goal. She swirved her broom to the side and flew towards it, trying not to lose it again. Shawn looked at her when she began to head towards him, but she just kept flying.   
  
"And it looks like Potter is going to score for herself!" blared the speaker.  
  
It was just behind the goal that Shawn was over. She stood up on the broomstick, balancing perfectly on the trick that she had pulled off a lot. Shawn's eyes were lost to the Hufflepuff Chaser that was heading his way. Lilus took a clean jump over the goal post and reached for the Snitch, which buzzed just a little out of her reach.   
  
She grabbed hold of her broomstick with one hand and jerked herself back on it, flying after the Snitch again. She followed it closely, but everytime, it seemed just out of her reach. Mark Corey was trying hard to keep up with her, but he was too far behind. The Snitch was making some bloodcurdling turns, and it was taking everything that she had to keep up with it. It was acting so strangely. It shot down into the ground woodworks. She followed it, trying to dodge the closely woven boards.  
  
"Snitch, come 'ere!" she growled.  
  
Lilus followed it for about thirty seconds down there, dodging boards and more boards. She shot out and nearly ran into Mark Corey as he tried to intercept the Snitch before she got to it. The Snitch went skyward, at a perfectly vertical angle. Her grip on her broomstick tightened considerably, so tight her knuckles were turning bleach white. It was beginning to hurt really bad, but she held on. Mark was closing in, and he was becoming very impatient with the altitude. The Snitch flew higher and higher still. The air became considerably cold, and she was beginning to wonder if there was something wrong with the Snitch. It had never gone that high before. It wasn't supposed to go that high.   
  
The coldness that surrounded her gave her a really furious headache. She shivered and coughed, feeling the cold air seep into her lungs and freeze every inch of them. Mark was almost on her, and he was shaking violently as well. The loud speaker had faded away to a little whisper while she shook the pain out of her skin.  
  
Finally she pushed her arm farther, and her fingers wrapped around the small golden ball.  
  
She fell backwards. With one hand on her broom and one hand on the Snitch, she fell. She flipped over, letting the wind push her hair behind her. She smiled as the air became warmer and the playing field came in clear sight again. About fifty feet above the ground, she mounted her broom again and flew to the ground, waving the Snitch victoriously. There was a loud screech from the Gryffindors.  
  
"Gryffindor wins! 270 to 50! Gryffindor wins!"  
  
Lilus landed and rubbed her head. She felt a chill all around her, and suddenly, she just wanted to sleep. She panted loudly, rubbing her hand across her forehead. Her eyes began to blurr, but the twins, the Chasers, and Shawn rushed up to her and scooped her into their arms. They hugged her tightly, and she looked up at Jason who was waving his arms frantically in the air. She smiled and waved at him. She couldn't collapse. The boys were too busy hugging her, saying that the thirty minutes that the game lasted, she had done wonderfully. No Bludgers. Their next game was after Christmas vacation, which was now the next thing on her list. She smiled.  
  
She would be going home.  
  
*******************************  
  
Remus Lupin hugged the teenaged girl in his arms. "You're going home, Lilus. Everything will be okay."  
  
Lilus smiled. "Yeah, thanks, Remy. I'll be back. Consider yourself warned."  
  
She smiled and patted him on the shoulder. He laughed heartily, and she exited his office. Jason and Justin were waiting outside.  
  
"Well, we're heading home," Justin said, sighing heavily.  
  
Jason coughed. "Man, I have to stick here. This is so not fair."  
  
"Poor Jason. Well. Maybe during the summer you're parents will let you come over," Justin said, smiling.  
  
"Maybe. Well, I'm sure they'd let me. Hey, Lilus, you're Animagus potion should be done by now. Wanna take a swig or four?" Jason said with his trademark grin.  
  
Justin's eyes opened wide. "You made an Animagus potion?! Under my nose?!"  
  
She nodded and smiled. "Yeah, and I promised Jason I'd take it too. Well, let's go. You guys can witness."  
  
"Well, let's be off. I hid it in the room under the Whomping Willow. I'll walk you through the steps, but we did it right, so I think all you'll have to do is meditate. You'll be find on your way home tomorrow."  
  
The Whomping Willow. Finding Charlie there nearly dead had been a nightmare. Nothing too lethal had happened that year, but still, with Diego's prank still bubbling, there was a lot of room for mistakes. All three of them walked outside. Lilus was beginning to have second thoughts about her potion, even though she brewed it right from the book. Jason had stolen his from Snape, and that was more to rely on than her abilities. They stopped just outside of the tree's reach, and Jason smiled.  
  
"Watch the master at work."  
  
Jason opened his arms and closed his eyes. Out of his arms, rough looking plates sprouted, but they thinned out and became feathers. His nose and mouth fused together, and his eyes turned the brightest blue that Lilus had ever seen. He had transformed in front of her before, and the first time, it had been a very strange experience. The large brown and black eagle flew upwards, calling down to his friends in an eagle's cry. The giant bird shot downwards and into the massive web of the tree's whipping branches. Since Remy's years in school, the tree had grown considerably. Almost too big for their liking. Jason shot through the branches and rammed into the knot on the trunk. The tree's branches straightened, and the three teenagers dashed into the opened space between the roots.  
  
Jason changed back into a human and plucked the crystal vial from the shelf. He smiled and waved it at Lilus, who stared at it nervously.  
  
"Down the hatch, chica. You promised."  
  
He handed it to her and she looked at the clear liquid inside. "Yeah, down the hatch."  
  
And she drank it. 


	10. Birth of Blackwing

Chapter 10  
  
Lilus sat on the train with her back against the window, and her feet leaning on the wall. She was trying to sleep, but the commotion on the train was too much. She had been sitting in her cubicle for a while, waiting for Justin and the others to arrive. Finally, the door slid open, and Justin appeared in the doorway.  
  
"Guess what? Jason found a nice nickname for you. Blackwing! How does that sound?"  
  
Blackwing. After what had happened during the previous afternoon, it seemed almost perfect. It had nothing to do with her red eyes or the jagged red stripes that had been across her back. It had been her wings. Her long, beautiful wings. She was Blackwing. No longer Lilus. She felt like a new person.  
  
Justin plopped down on the seat next to her and awaited her answer. Lilus opened her eyes and smiled.  
  
"Blackwing. Hmm. I likes. I'll have to owl him and tell him to remind me to give him a hug when I get back. So...I am now Blackwing! That is so awesome."  
  
"Yeah, he thought about it all night. I bet you can guess what it came from," Angelfeather smiled.  
  
"My Animagus form. Jason, you're a genius!" she squealed in delight. "I'll have to hug him extra tight."  
  
"Well, don't hug him too hard. He might take it seriously."  
  
She smiled and shrugged. "Oh well. He'll be the first and only."  
  
Justin snapped his fingers. "Oh, your mum and dad are on business today, so we'll be taking you to our house for a few hours, okay?"  
  
She didn't want to go to Uncle Ron's house. She wanted to see her parents. She missed them horribly, but she was sure that everything would be okay. She had waited a long time. A few hours wasn't anything.  
  
"Oh, alright."  
  
Justin suddenly got excited about something. "I can't believe that that's your transformation. Animagus transformations like that aren't supposed to be possible, but you pulled it off with beauty, grace, and elegance, my friend. You looked...wow. Are you gonna tell your dad that you're an Animagus now? Boy, this makes me want to try that potion."  
  
Lilus laughed. "Well, it tasted nasty. Like...tree bark."  
  
Justin stuck out his tongue. "Tree bark? Lilus, and you know this how? Had an affair with a tree, have we?"  
  
She rose an eyebrow. "You...are...really daring. I just ate some when I was a kid."  
  
"Oh. Well, still. Something that...great. I mean, the real thing is illegal. And the power. Oh, the power. Lilus, you could do so many things."  
  
Lilus smiled. "Yeah, like I want to enslave the world anytime soon. Plus, since when did you get so power hungry, anyway?"  
  
Justin shrugged. "I dunno. After seeing you turn into something that could probably have downed me and Jason both...yeah. What was your meditation like? What did you see?"  
  
The meditation was very important after drinking an Animagus potion. It would direct one's soul to the animal form that it would take.  
  
"I...was flying somewhere over the ocean. It was so...beautiful. I felt so strong. I felt like nothing could stop me. When I roared, I was ten times greater than a lion. It was so beautiful. The feeling was incredible."  
  
Justin smiled. "What do you think I'll turn into."  
  
Lilus looked at him with an evil grin on her face. "I think you'd be...a parrot."  
  
Justin stared. "A parrot?"  
  
"Yeah. It takes people forever to get you to talk, but when you start talking, it's impossible to shut you up!"  
  
Justin leapt at her and ruffled her hair all to bits. She finally shoved him off of her just in time before Nick and Charlie entered.  
  
"Hello. We decided to grace you with our presence," said Nick.  
  
"How honored are we?" Lilus said.  
  
Justin popped Nick on the arm. "Lilus has a name now. Blackwing. Jason thought it up."  
  
Nick smiled. "Blackwing. That sounds neat. Well, Lilus. You are now a true Marauder. Congratulations."  
  
Nick sat down next to her, and Charlie sat beside Justin.  
  
The trip had been slow. The meditation that she had took her a long time. For almost three hours, she sat on the cold ground, listening to silence and her heartbeat. She saw the ocean first. It looked like she was flying over it really fast, on a broom or something. When she looked down, she didn't see a reflection though. She didn't see anything but water. The breeze stretched over her body, and she felt so calm. Then something very big and black moved to her side. She turned to stare at it, and found that it had been staring at her. She had almost been knocked out of her meditation by the giant snake's alligator-like maw. It was lined with very sharp teeth with four large fangs in the front. It had the reddest eyes that she had ever seen, so large and horrifically terrifying. It had two long horns that spiraled slightly as they poked out four feet from its head. A ebony mane flew out long behind it, stretching out nearly a quarter of its body length. Just as the mane ended, two very large wings jutted out of the black snake's body. The wings were very long, but the creature itself could easily cover seventy feet. Its wings were much like a bat's. It had a thumb and four webbed fingers. The thumb was sharp and looked very dangerous, like it could gut any creature with just one swipe. The fingers were much longer, and they made up the wings. The lizard continued to stare at her, and it smirked. She felt some sort of magnetism being formed between the giant beast and herself, and she felt her body being pushed towards it. Finally, she was so close that she could touch the scales. She saw the jagged stripes over its back, the color of its eyes. She suddenly felt her body being jerked forward, and the body of her and the dragon became one in the same. That's when she heard Jason and Justin scream, and she snapped out of it, finding herself in the form of the a flyinh snake. And to her surprise, or much not to her surprise, it looked incredibly similar to her Patronus, but her Patronus didn't have horns, a dragon's snout, a mane, or eyes like that.  
  
"Lilus, you going off into dream world? Come on. I know I'm sexy, but please no fantasizing while I'm having a conversation with someone," Nick said, pulling her closer to him.  
  
She laughed and pushed him away. "As if, Nick. If I was fantasizing about anyone, it would be Charlie, anyway."  
  
She winked at Charlie, and Nick snorted at Justin's "ooooooaaaaahhhhhhhhhh...she burnt you."  
  
Charlie grinned. "Oh, Lilus. Shut your mouth."  
  
Nick poked her in the ribs, and she grabbed the muscle in his side, causing him to shriek loudly with delight. Nick was too ticklish. She smiled and leaned against the window.  
  
"Hey, is there anything going on between you and Jason?" Charlie asked, eyeing her suspiciously.  
  
Lilus felt shock come to her face. "No! Jason is my friend!"  
  
"I dunno. I went down to the Common Room one time and found you and him asleep down there. Are you sure?"  
  
Justin jabbed Charlie in his ribs. "Jason's been having really bad nightmares. She goes down there to check on him."  
  
"Oh, well, just wondering. He really seems to like you."  
  
Nick chuckled. "Jason likes anything that's female and has an ass," he said, propping his feet up on the seat just beside Charlie. "Not like there's anything wrong with that, mind you."  
  
Lilus didn't say anything to him. She just stared out of the window. The boys started talking about girls that they thought were hot, sexy, cute, or gorgeous, and their conversation died out of her head. The landscape flew by so slowly compared to when she had gotten on the train before. Eventually, she stood up. The evil feeling had returned.  
  
"Be right back, guys."  
  
She slid the compartment door open and stepped out into the hallway. She wanted to go talk to Jason, but he wasn't here. She'd probably go to the bathroom and stay for a while or something. Talk to herself. Just to drift back into that meditation. She wanted to transform, but she knew that doing that would cause panic beyond restoration. Oh that form. Sixty feet of power. The power. The power. The power.  
  
"Why are you all by yourself?"  
  
She turned her head to see a brown-haired, brown-eyed boy standing in the aisle a few feet from her. He was dressed in Muggle clothes, and he was tall. He had a light tanned complexion totally unhindered by pimples, zits, acne, or anything else. His eyes held a deep emotion in them, and she could see it throughout the dark brown circles. He was pleased, pleased with the way she looked. His eyes were lusty, but they kept their distance.  
  
"Oh, just need to escape from my friends. Have some quiet time, you know?" she answered, trying to indirectly shield her eyes from him.  
  
"You're Lilus Potter, aren't you?" he asked, his voice very smooth. "You were great against Hufflepuff."  
  
She scratched the back of her neck. "Yeah, that's me. Thanks for the compliment. I...haven't seen you around, sorry to say."  
  
He laughed. "Well, you wouldn't have. I tend to stay out of people's sight. Just don't like the spotlight."  
  
"What house are you in?" she asked, leaning against the door.  
  
"Oh, Ravenclaw. Seventh year."  
  
"Cool."  
  
"Want to come sit down? I'm all by myself in one." he said, pointing to a compartment at the end of a section.  
  
"Sure. No harm in that."  
  
She wasn't exactly sure where this was going, but he was cute and slightly interested so why not? He opened the door for her, and she went inside and sat down. He followed her and sat down across from her.  
  
"I love your eyes. You wear contacts?" he asked, leaning back in the chair and swinging one leg over the other.  
  
She shook her head. "No, birth defect."  
  
He shook his head. "Don't birth defect me. They make you look...how you say...devious, strong, mysterious."  
  
She laughed. "Frightening."  
  
He shrugged. "Well, they are a very nice shade. Bright red, not dark red. At least they have brightness to them."  
  
Lilus shrugged. "What's your name?"  
  
He smiled. "Well, Nathanial Gallian, but you can call me Snid."  
  
"Snid? That's original. Sounds cool. Nice to meet you, Snid."  
  
He grinned. "You have a nickname?"  
  
"Not really. Lil is the closest I've ever come to one."  
  
Blackwing was too early. It wasn't right to give it to some guy that she had just met. It was too early. She had never heard his name before. She had never seen him before. He didn't look like a Ravenclaw, but she could only believe him.  
  
"Lil, that sounds nice," he said, smiling.  
  
"Why were you out wondering the halls?" she asked, leaning back in her seat.  
  
"Just bored and looking for the snack lady. Nothing to do except play with my wand, which gets dull after a time."  
  
She nodded. "Yeah. I'm surprised I've never seen you before. I've never seen you at meals or anything."  
  
"Yeah. Usually, I'm helping one of the professors out. I'm the designated assistant."  
  
"That's cool. Do you help Snape out any?"  
  
"Yes, actually. Nice man when you don't talk to him," Snid said, laughing heartily.  
  
"What do you do for him?"  
  
"Well, I do errands for him. I clean up the dungeon. Met Raphael and his dorky cousin, too."  
  
"Oh, God. That stupid French accent. He's been bugging me since the beginning of school. I have a feeling that he'll be back."  
  
"Raphael's a saint compared to him."  
  
"Tell me about it. I'm actually missing him. That French guy needs to be hexed out of his shoes."  
  
"Raphael's really rather nice, you know? When he's not being harassed by his cousin."  
  
"How long are they down there with you?"  
  
"Just an hour or so."  
  
"Malfoy nearly killed one of my friends last year, but this year, I'd prefer him over Frenchy."  
  
"Frenchy? That's amusing," Snid said.  
  
"Well, I'd better be getting back to my friends. Maybe I'll see you around sometime, okay?"  
  
He smiled and took her hand quickly in one graceful sweep before planting a gentle kiss on it. "Farewell, lovely lady."  
  
"Bye, Snid," she laughed. "And please don't try to stay invisible. Come and talk to me sometime."  
  
He smiled and nodded his head once. "Of course."  
  
She smiled and left his compartment before traveling down the aisle to her own. She walked in and saw Nick swinging his t-shirt over his head and standing up on her chair. Although he wasn't much for romantic tastes, Nick had an incredible body. He stopped immediately when she entered and sat down on the bench.  
  
"Oh, don't mind me," she said evilly. "You continue with that little stripping session."  
  
Nick smiled and threw his shirt at her. She caught it and threw it at his head. She jumped on the bench and propped her feet up in his lap.  
  
"Where were you?" Justin asked, still trying to recover from the good laugh that he just experienced.  
  
"A hot Ravenclaw boy wanted to talk to me. I talked, but then I decided to come back just in case you were doing anything...savage," she said, eyeing Nick. "Of course, I was totally incorrect. This is normal behaviour for you boys."  
  
Nick smacked her thigh hard, and she jumped. He laughed and grinned at her.  
  
"Who was the boy?" Charlie asked.  
  
Everytime she started talking about boys, they would get really defensive.  
  
"He's tall, brown-hair, brown eyes, and he goes by the name of Snid."  
  
They looked at each other, confused. "Snid? Never heard of him."  
  
"Oh well," she said. "Look. I'm going to take a nap. Wake me when we stop, okay?" She drew her feet off of Nick and curled up on the corner of the bench. "If anyone pinches my rear, there's going to be Hell to pay..."  
  
Nick snapped his fingers and put his shirt back on.  
  
**************************  
  
Upon first seeing her godfather, she rushed over to Ron and hugged him right before his wife and then Ginny and Dean. George and Fred were there too. Everyone piled into the two family minivans, and they were off. She was caught between Nick and Charlie, with Justin, Casey, and Baker in the middle row, and Ron and his wife up front. The others were in the other van, probably more wild than they were at the moment. Nick and Charlie were asleep. Nick was drooling on the window, which was amusing. Lilus was glad to be out of school. No more teachers to worry about, although she'd miss Remy a lot. He was always the reason to go back, that and the mild satisfaction that she recieved after seeing Snape sneak one of the Chocolate Frogs she'd left him into his mouth during class. She had not seen Snid when she left the train. She even made the attempt to look around for him, but he was gone. It left her disappointed, but she was quiet.  
  
"Lilus, you'll go home in about two or three hours, okay? Your father should be back by then," Ron said from the front seat.  
  
"Yeah, okay."  
  
"Did you miss Harry and Hermione?"  
  
"Yes, Uncle Ron. I really did."  
  
She leaned forward and put her face in her hands. She wanted to go home. She missed the evil cat. She missed Hedwig. She missed everything. She wanted to be home. Other than a few side conversations between Ron and Amber, the car was silent. Everyone was ready to be home. They were almost to the Weasley plantation, and Lilus had the urge to transform again just to figure out how to use her new wings. Of course, that would cause near death to her friends. Seeing one of your best friends turn into a huge dragon wasn't exactly the most expected thing in the world.  
  
When they arrived at the plantation, Lilus levitated her trunk out of the van and moved it into Ron's livingroom. She'd be going home via Floo Powder, but it would be near midnight after that happened.  
  
She strolled upstairs and knocked on Justin's door.  
  
"It's unlocked," came the muffled voice inside.  
  
She opened it and saw him unpacking everything in his trunk before slipping something fresh in it. He glanced over his shoulder and smiled at her, tossing the white shirt he was holding onto his bed.  
  
"How's life, Angelfeather?"  
  
"Life is treating me well, Blackwing. And you?" he said with a wink, sitting down on his bed and bouncing just a little.  
  
"Bored. I want to go home so bad."  
  
Justin nodded. "Yeah, I know. Now, tell me about this Ravenclaw."  
  
"Seventh year. Brown hair. Brown eyes. Nice figure. Good skin. Cute."  
  
"I don't know a Ravenclaw named Snid," he said, eyeing her suspiciously.  
  
"Well, his name is Nathanial Gallian. That's what he told me."  
  
Justin thought for a few minutes, but he shook his head again in the end. "I don't know anyone by that name."  
  
Lilus sat down next to him and shrugged. "I dunno. It was weird though. He took interest in me. The only other guy to ever do that is Jason."  
  
Angelfeather nodded. "But he's insane."  
  
"I'm beginning to wonder if all Americans are like that. I'd still take Jason over any of them, though."  
  
Justin nodded again. "Jason's an awesome guy."  
  
Lilus stood up and stretched her arms toward his ceiling. "I'm going to go outside for a few minutes."  
  
"Okay. See you in a few."  
  
Outside. Space, wide, open space that was impossible to be occupied. Lilus, clad in jacket, jeans, sneakers, and sweatshirt, walked to the middle of the field and sat down on the cold ground. The wind bit at her skin, but she didn't notice. She looked around at the bare trees whose leaves had been stripped from them during autumn. Tree after tree after tree, all of them were lined up in a very confusing pattern. Climbing those trees had been fun. They had always been fun. This place was fun. Her childhood was here, half of it anyways. Justin was her childhood. Nick, Charlie, and Diego even. This was a place in her heart. This cold land would once again be reborn with the spring, becoming brighter and greener.  
  
She turned her head when Ron poked his head out of the door and summoned her inside. She stood up, popping her back and bones before sprinting towards the houses. She arrived at the door panting and covered in a light sweat, but she was excited. She was going home.  
  
Justin was waiting for her. He'd help her carry her trunk through, but in order to do this right, they'd have to run through almost at the same time. Justin would use some of her family's Floo Powder to return. She smiled and grabbed a handful of Floo Powder from the pot that her Aunt Amber extended to her.   
  
"Happy Christmas, Uncle Ron. Happy Christmas, Aunt Amber."  
  
"Happy Christmas, Lilus."  
  
She threw it into the fire.  
  
"Harry Potter Residence," she stated as clearly as she could.  
  
The fire buzzed to life, and she and Justin jumped through it, each holding one handle of her trunk. They arrived on the other side and dropped her trunk. The familiar image of her livingroom was such a comfort to her. The dark blue sofa and the golden armchair at one end of the room, the television in the other. The cerulean blue carpet that she had so often fallen asleep on when she was a kid. The pictures on the wall radiated happiness, showing pictures of her from age nearly zero to fifteen. It was eerily quiet, though.  
  
"Leave it. I'll get it later. Dad? Mom?" she called, raising her voice so it could be heard from upstairs.  
  
Justin's head snapped up as something shattered in the kitchen. Lilus looked at him in silence, and then ran into the doorway to the kitchen with Justin on her heels. Lilus' heart stopped literally, and she stopped breathing and every primitive action of her body was overtaken by pure shock and fear. The man that was standing in her kitchen was not her dad, nor was it anyone she had ever seen. He was dressed in long, flowing black robes, with a mask over his head that only allowed one horizontal slit for both of his eyes.  
  
Those eyes. They were grayish blue, and pure hatred was pouring from them, along with a long satisfaction that had desired to be quenched for a long time. The man was smiling; she could see his mask contort to fit his demonic grin. Lilus didn't have her wand with her, nor did Justin. She saw that his body was hiding the two others that had crashed against the window.   
  
Her mother and father.  
  
She ran over to the masked man, but he apparated away before she could grab him. She could hear Justin curse as he collapsed to his knees. She followed shortly after, sinking to her knees in front of her parents. Their glazed eyes were staring into space, and both of them were oddly pale. Her father's glasses had been smashed, and blood trickled from her mother's forehead.  
  
"...Mom...Dad, say something," she croaked, barely getting the worlds out. Her throat was so parched now.  
  
She crawled a little closer and reached out to touch her father's arm. Her father suddenly shook, and his arms reached up and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her frighteningly close. She was not even an inch from his face now, and the tears continued to fall onto his chest.  
  
Lilus' eyes grew wide as her father's eyes began to shift from their happy green to a deep red, an evil red, her red. His pupils shrunk until they were nearly gone, and his face became even paler than it had been. His mouth smirked in the most evil grin that she had seen in her life, and his face became something that she would never forget. She screamed, forcing every inch of pain and frustration out of her body before it retracted and blasted back into her.  
  
Lilus felt something hard slam against her. It tore her from her father's arms, and in a blurr of red light, shot her backwards into her mother's china cabinate. The delicate glass shattered, and Lilus felt her back sear with pain and fire. Time stopped, and she slid downwards, landing on her knees before collapsing on the ground, unconscious, with pieces of glass gnawing into her cheek.  
  
At about that time, Jason, more than a hundred miles away, woke up screaming his bloody head off at Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 


	11. Just a Baby Needing Love

Chapter 11  
  
THE BOY WHO LIVED FALLS  
  
Harry Potter and his wife Hermione Potter were  
  
killed by an unidentified Death Eater early this   
  
morning at twelve thirty. Their daughter, Lilus   
  
Potter, has been registered into St. Mungo's   
  
Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Ms.   
  
Potter and Justin Cale Weasley were the only   
  
known witnesses to the crime, and unfortunately,  
  
Mr. Weasley is recovering from shock while Ms.   
  
Potter has yet to awaken. Lilus Potter's guardian  
  
has yet to be decided, and it is possible that she  
  
will become a resident of the hospital.  
  
The article had been stretched across the front of the the Prophet and every other known daily literature work in the world. The famous Harry Potter was dead. Remus Lupin, Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, The Thomas's, the Weasleys, as well as Jason Alus had stationed themselves at St. Mungo's. Jason had attached himself to Lilus' limp hand, while the Weasley gang lined the walls in sad silence. Ron and Ginny took their friends' deaths extremely hard. They were holding onto each other and crying loudly. Albus Dumbledore, old and retired, had shown up to see that the welfare of Lilus was made certain.  
  
"My friends," he said, his voice tight with pain, "we have suffered a loss, a great loss. This certainly will leave large holes in all of our lives, but we know that time can only heal these voids. Ms. Potter will need to be properly cared for, assuming that she is released from the hospital. She has multiple guardians available, as this moment was probably foreseen by her Mr. Potter himself very early in her life. She shall be taken back to Hogwarts if she is released, and I, too, will return to Hogwarts to ensure her safety and the safety of her fellow students. Before the term ends, she shall be given the choice to live with any one of her godparents, and she will be kept under strict watch."  
  
Jason whispered something that no one heard, but Professor McGonagall heard him mutter something. She stopped Albus with a wave of her hand.  
  
"What did you say, Mr. Alus?" she asked, moving closer to him and putting her hands on his shoulders.  
  
The room was quiet. Jason looked up at her with red swollen eyes. "I...saw it...happen. I dreamt about it last night, but I didn't know it was real..."  
  
He broke down and began to sob again. Minerva gently opened her arms and embraced him, and he bawled into her shoulder. Dumbledore resumed speaking.  
  
"No doubt that she will be very troubled when she wakes. Seeing her parents die must have been quite a shock. Ms. Potter will need the staff's support. Her classes could suffer. Her Quidditch could suffer. She might even physically suffer as well as psychologically. We need to encourage her as much as we can," he said.  
  
Remus stood up, his eyes directed towards the bed. "Lilus, Lilus?"  
  
Everyone looked at the head of the bed, where the young girl's eyes were bloodshot, with blood traveling down the same path as her tears. She was breathing very softly, and her eyes were staring into nowhere. The blood slid down her cheek and landed on the pillow. Her fingers twitched. Slowly, her hand gripped the sheets, and she tried to sit herself up but succeeded in doing nothing but causing her arms to shake.  
  
Something very animalistic squeaked from her mouth, and Jason left Minerva and carefully touched Lilus' arm. He helped her sit up, and she clutched his arm very tightly as she rose. He hugged her tightly, and she stared wide-eyed at the teachers when he released her.  
  
"Wh...y...are you here?" she said, glancing at each of the teachers before finally returning to Remus. "Remy...?"  
  
Her voice broke at the end of his name. A tear fell down Remus' cheek, and he rushed to her side, sitting on the bed and trying to swallow the knot in his throat.  
  
"Lil...lus, last night, do you remember what happened?"  
  
Lilus felt the funny feeling behind her nose and knew she was about to cry again. She didn't remember a lot. Just coming home...  
  
And hearing the breaking.  
  
Seeing her parents...  
  
The china case...  
  
The Death Eater...  
  
"Ree...eeemy...," she cried weakly. "Daddy...Mommy..."  
  
Her bottom lip quivered, and she wrapped her arms around Remus' neck, more blood coming from her eyes. Remus sobbed softly, holding her tight against him. Minerva drew a handkerchief out of her robes and handed it to Remus, who proceeded to wipe the blood from her face.  
  
"They're gone. Oh, Lilus, I'm so sorry," Remus whispered, and everyone in the room felt their hearts break as the once proud and strong sixteen-year-old Seeker was reduced to nothing more than a one-year-old baby.  
  
*******************************  
  
Justin and the gang had gone back to school when Severus Snape and Remus Lupin came to St. Mungo's to collect Lilus. Her trunk had been collected from her house, and it was charmed to disappear to all eyes except a certain few. She had not said much during the four days that she had been awake, nor had she eaten a lot. For some reason that the professors only discussed when she was out of earshot, every time she cried, she cried blood, not tears. Lilus had cried often, and she seemed to be deep in thought whenever someone tried to talk to her. Albus Dumbledore returned to Hogwarts as a temporary resident. Lilus was oblivious to everything around her, and she talked to herself a lot.  
  
Lilus poked at her breakfast with her fork, staring at her plate.  
  
The hunch had returned. That strange feeling that had made her so paranoid had proved correct. Her parents were dead. Hedwig was later found in a mound of burnt feathers upstairs, but Crookshanks had been stalking outside at the time and was now living in her dormitory. Even that old cat knew the mourning that she had with her. Needless to say, her Christmas was spent alone, walking out in the snow by herself. Lilus was afraid, and she knew that the professors were afraid that she would try to kill herself. She had considered it, but it escaped her mind quickly. There was too much to fight for.  
  
That Death Eater. Those eyes were definitely one of a kind. She would find them again, and she would kill that Death Eater. She would kill him.  
  
As for the situation at hand, it was only causing sadness around her. The female teachers would sometimes break down, and Remy would cry every time she would come around. Jason tried to be with her as much as he could, touching her on any available limb just so she would know that he was there. He would come up next to her and hug her, covering her with as much of his body as he could. She could only stare at him with blank eyes and hold onto his arm as he escorted her to wherever they were going.  
  
When school started, Lilus promised herself that she would not let it ruin her year, but she knew that it already had. She could never replace her parents. Their funerals she had not gone to, but she cried so much that she nearly killed herself from the loss. She felt a large chunk of her heart ripped from her body, and there was only one thing burning in its place. Revenge.  
  
She sat in Transfiguration, writing down all the notes that Professor Aegis made to appear on his blackboard. She wrote just like she usually did, glancing over at Shawn and Jason's handwriting. Jason wrote like a normal human being, which was quite a shock considering. When Shawn had found out what had happened, he was horrified. Everyone that she came across was muttering something about her parents, and to be truthful, it was pissing her off. The Slytherins tore as much as they could at the emotional wound like expected, but whenever a teacher was in earshot, they quickly changed the subject to friendly conversation. As if.  
  
"Blackwing, that was a really lousy lesson, huh?" Jason said, trying his very best to kill the dead feelings that surrounded her.  
  
'It's not right to suffer like this. Look what you're doing to them. You're dragging them down. If you are to mourn, mourn in secrecy. They do not deserve this. They do not need to suffer your pain as well.'  
  
'I know they don't. It...just hurts so much.'  
  
'You have to conquer this.'  
  
'I will conquer this.'  
  
She smiled for the first time in two weeks. "Stupid lesson. Didn't he teach that before we left?"  
  
The boys were silent, but then they laughed and surrounded her with hugs, glad to have their friend back.  
  
Lilus and her friends went into Divination with happy faces. She wore a smile on her face, no matter how fake she knew it was. It made everything okay around her. After Professor Trelawney's class, it was lunchtime.  
  
"Hey, Diego!" Nick called from one side of their party. "When are you going to pull off that prank?"  
  
The fifteen-year-old grinned. "Tomorrow or the next day," he said.  
  
Lilus laughed. She found herself doing that a lot, laughing spontaneously. It helped with the pain. It helped a lot. Jason smiled and cuddled her shoulder. She smiled and picked up a roll before hurling it at Charlie. It hit him in the cheek, and he picked up a grape and threw it at her. She smiled and grabbed a potato before slicing it open and eating it. It tasted so good.   
  
"Thank God. Diego, you're beginning to make me too uptight about it."  
  
He nodded. "Of course. It's what I'm good at, Nicky."  
  
Her other classes were over quickly, and they were to be out on the Quidditch field for some practice. Their game against Slytherin was in a few weeks, and she wanted to be prepared. She sat on her bed, pulling on the Quidditch gear that wasn't in the storage shed. They weren't expected to be down there for another hour, but she wanted to go down early for some odd reason. She stretched and started down to the Quidditch field, ignoring the pity glances given to her by the other students.  
  
"Pot...Lilus?" a voice whispered.  
  
Lilus whirled around but she didn't see anyone that appeared to have spoken to her. There were other students in the hall, but there weren't any that called her name twice. She shrugged it off. That's when it started again.  
  
"Astronomy Tower. Eleven tomorrow night. Meet me there."  
  
She stopped and listened as hard as she could, but there was nothing else to listen to. Astronomy Tower. Eleven. Meet who there? Who was talking to her? She had never heard that voice before. It was a boy, but it sounded like a harsh hiss.  
  
By time she arrived down at the Quidditch field, she had already noticed that it was being occupied. Practices were not usually scheduled on the same day for opposing teams, but today it was. She'd just finish putting her gear on and find something to do until her practice started. If they picked on her, well, she'd have to get out of there fast. Good thing though, because the Captain of the Slytherin team knew Justin. Not as a friend or enemy, but as an acquaintance. Surely, he'd stand up for her even in the slightest. She slid on her robes and armor from their dressing room and grabbed her broom. She walked around the Quidditch field and sat next to the tall poles of the Gryffindor stand. No doubt, some of the Slytherins had caught sight of her by now. She wasn't trying to hide her presence.  
  
Frenchy was on the Quidditch team. She had forgotten that he had taken Raphael's place as the Seeker. That meant that he was up there, probably staring daggers at her. He knew about her parents' deaths, and he'd hurt her if he got the chance. She sat on the ground, staring up at all the small, green and silver robes buzzing through the air. And pretty soon, Frenchy decided to join her.  
  
"Why, why, hello there?" he asked mockingly. "How's the family? Oh, I forgot. YOU DON'T HAVE ONE!"  
  
He hovered a few feet away from her on his broom, giving her a look that she wanted to claw from his face. She pushed herself away from him, grabbing a handful of grass and dirt and hurling it at him.  
  
"I have one, alright. It's the Gryffindor Quidditch team, who will be out here in thirty minutes and will be all too eager to beat your ass into the ground," she spat.  
  
He landed on the ground, and she saw the shining, golden Snitch in his right hand. He held his broom neck to him and stared at her.  
  
"You had a weak family anyways," he said.  
  
Lilus wanted to rip him apart, but she contained herself, although she felt the fury boiling inside her. She may get her chance if he kept it up.  
  
"You would have made a good Slytherin, though. Tough, demonic, striking fear into all who look at you."  
  
That wasn't so bad.  
  
"But you had to be the spawn of Harry Potter and that Mudblood."  
  
"If you do not shut up now, I will not be responsible for my actions," she growled, standing up and cracking her knuckles.  
  
He smirked at her and ran his hand over his slick hair. "What are you going to do? Fight me Muggle style? Did you learn that from that Mudblood mother of yours?"  
  
Lilus couldn't believe him. She should just knock him out and leave. Of course, the entire Slytherin Quidditch team would be after her. Most of them were pretty tall, but not as well coordinated as they were. Raphael would never dream of taunting her like this. Not about her family. Not after what happened. He was mean, arrogant, and the biggest bastard you'd ever met, but he had his pride and dignity. Unlike Frenchy, he made his own wounds. He didn't open others. She wished Jason was there. Someone to hold onto. Someone to help beat this ungrateful wretch into a pile of nothing.  
  
"I'm warning you, Frenchy. You're walking the edge of a dagger," she hissed.  
  
He walked up to her, letting his broom fall to the side next to hers. They were not very far apart, and he stood a good four inches taller than she did. His eyes showed nothing but hatred and frustration.  
  
"What's wrong, Frenchy? Sad that you can't make a little girl cry?" she said, grinning.  
  
"Mudblood Spawn."  
  
He wanted a fight. It was the only reason that he was doing this. He wanted to fight her. She drew her hand up and flipped him off, before sitting down again.  
  
"Leave me alone."  
  
"Why should I?"  
  
"Because you're about to piss off one of the most frightening people in Europe," another voice said. "And I'm not talking about Lilus."  
  
It was Diego. He stood there, broom in hand, teeth clenched tightly, glaring at Frenchy. Behind him was Kimmy, and she had her wand drawn out, ready to fire. Lilus smiled inwardly. She knew it wouldn't be too long before someone would come down. Frenchy lost his interest in Lilus and went to pick on the smaller boy.  
  
"Who are you to threaten me?" he said, his voice deep.  
  
Diego got right up in his face. "I am a Gryffindor, and I'll be happy to fight you."  
  
Frenchy seemed to be amused by the small boy's threat. "Oh. Who is this charming lady? Friend of yours?"  
  
"Fuck off," Diego said.  
  
Frenchy winked at Kimmy. "Meet me in the dungeon sometime, sweetheart."  
  
Kimmy made a gagging sound. Lilus stood up, ready to pounce on the Slytherin should anything happen.  
  
"I said fuck off!" Diego screamed in his face.  
  
Frenchy drew his arms back and shoved Diego off his feet. Diego stood back up and shoved back.  
  
"You stupid Mudblood lover!"  
  
Lilus jumped on his back, totally catching him off balance. He crashed to the ground, and she rolled him over and sat on his chest, holding his arms tightly. She bent down really close to his face, her eyes narrowing sharply.  
  
"You listen to me, Alex. This is the only warning you're going to get. I better not hear you talk about my family or hear that you've been talking about my family, because if I do, I'll put you in St. Mungo's for the rest of your shortened life. If you pick on my friends, I'll come after you and show you just how much of a bitch I can be. Understand?"  
  
She got off of his chest, and he stood up, staring hard at her. He rolled his shoulders back and glanced at Kimmy again.  
  
"Dungeon, you and me."  
  
"FUCK OFF, DAMN SLYTHERIN!" Diego roared.  
  
He waved his wand around his head, making a small halo over his head. The halo sunk to his forehead, and the ring turned black. It began to funnel around his head, and the shadow began to form body parts, a head, arms, and a chest. The phantom flew out of the ring and chased Frenchy to the Slytherin dressing house. Diego and Kimmy rushed to her, but she just glared at the closed door.  
  
"Lilus, you okay?" Diego asked.  
  
"Fine," she said softly. "I will make one promise though. If he talks about anything I warned him about, I'll hurt him." Kimmy hugged Lilus around her neck, and Lilus hugged her back. "I...can't believe that they're gone."  
  
Lilus sank to the ground, and the blood began to come down her face again. She didn't sound like she was crying. Lilus made no noise whatsoever, but she did talk. Kimmy crouched next to her, as did Diego.  
  
"I know, Lilus. I know. They're in a better place now. They've gone to Heaven."  
  
"And I've gone to Hell," Lilus said quietly.  
  
Diego patted her knee. "Lil, if he bothers you, tell me or one of the guys. We'll take care of it. Tell Jason. He'd love to come beat him up."  
  
She leaned against the pole and hid her face in her knees. No, she couldn't do this. This was a burden that they shouldn't have to carry. This was her problem, not theirs.  
  
"No. I'm okay. It's...," she wiped the blood from her eyes. "I'm just...I dunno...but I'm okay."  
  
Kimmy leaned forward and hugged her again. "We're here for you. We'll always be here for you. You're our big sister, Lilus. It hurts us too. When you need to talk about it, we're here."  
  
In a way, Kimmy's words made Lilus want to growl and say something defensive back, but she didn't. She just nodded slightly and tried her best to fake a smile. It didn't work because the smile died quickly. She sat between Kimmy and Diego and waited for the Quidditch team and Jason to arrive. She really wanted Jason to be around right now, just as much as Justin. She needed them right now.  
  
******************************  
  
Clutching the Marauder's Map in her right hand, she ran down the hallway as fast as she could, her Invisibility Cloak draped clumsily over her. She wiped the blood away from her eyes with a small towel in her left hand. Her feet stung as they hit the cold stone floor, and her heart stung from the loss that she could never heal from. She didn't even think to put socks on or house slippers on before she left the house. She was just in her long pants and long shirt and sprinting towards Remy's office.  
  
When she arrived there, she tried her best to mop up the blood from her face before she entered. The door was cracked just slightly, but Remy had left it like that every night since she came back, knowing that she would need relief from the great tragedy that happened. She walked in and plopped down in the armchair that was next to the fireplace, scooping the picture off the shelf. That picture of her grandfather looked so much like her dad it was scary. She shed her cloak and dabbed the blood away from her eyes before clutching the picture tightly to her chest and sobbing quietly.  
  
She'd have to go back to her house and get pictures and stuff later. She wanted them so bad. It felt like her heart had been ripped out, like there was a large hold in her chest. That hole stung her, and it was more painful than getting her shoulder broken by a Bludger. She trembled in front of the fire but not from fear or cold. She was just alone. Maybe it was fear. Maybe it was the fear of being alone in a time that she didn't need to be.  
  
Lilus stared into the fire, letting her blood tears drop on the towel. At first, the tears had been quiet a shock to her, but she had slammed into a glass cabinet. It was just an injury. A piece of glass was lodged in her tear gland. It fell out, and now whenever she cried, the wound would reopen. It was explainable, but it was still strange.  
  
She didn't need new eyes.  
  
She didn't need a boyfriend.  
  
She needed her mother and father.  
  
She needed her friends.  
  
She needed something to hug. She was wondering whether she should have brought Crookshanks with her. He wouldn't like her getting blood all in his fur, but he wouldn't be too sore at her for it. He understood death. He knew that his owner was not coming back. He knew Hedwig was gone. He knew Harry was gone. And he knew that Lilus needed him. She needed some connection to her past.  
  
Lilus held tight to the picture and stared into the fire. Those eyes. Grayish blue. She would find that Death Eater one day. He would pay for her loss. He would pay. The fire glowed, and before long, she had to look away from her because it was hurting her eyes. She curled up on the chair and closed her eyes, still holding the picture.  
  
Remus came in a few minutes after she had fallen asleep. He stopped at the doorway, holding a bag in his arms. He blinked a few times, not sure that there was someone there. He frowned sadly when he realized that it was his goddaughter. Poor Lilus. He quietly stalked over to his desk and dropped the bag on it carefully. He walked into his bedroom next to the back room and opened his closet. Wool blanket and a pillow. He wasn't about to wake her to tell her that she needed to go to sleep in her dorm. Not now.  
  
He carried the items into his office and slid them around and under her. She stirred slightly, but she didn't awaken. Remus gently kissed her on her forehead and gripped her hand softly. Then he noticed the picture. He picked it out of her weakened grip and sighed before returning it to where it had been in her hand. The Marauder's Map fell out of her pocket onto the floor. Remus scooped it up and opened it. He smiled slightly and sighed again.  
  
"I miss you guys. Good night, Lilus. Sleep well."  
  
Remus walked over to his desk and sat down behind it, almost silently removing things from the sack and sliding them in their proper place on his desk. There was nothing good about their meetings anymore. He just prayed that one day that would change, and all would be right again, although Harry and Hermione would never return. 


	12. The Danger Begins

Chapter Twelve  
  
Remus took Lilus back to her house early the next morning. He was grateful that she had brought her Invisibility Cloak. Lilus was heavier than she appeared to be, but lots of hard work and Quidditch training had sculpted her body into a lean, womanly figure. Remus smiled as he remembered how ga-ga the Alus boy was over her. The American in his class found amusement in blowing bubbles out of his snot. That sounded so much like something that James or Sirius would do. Harry had followed his father in fate, but Voldemort's cronie did the work this time. Poor Harry. Poor Hermione. Poor Lilus. That Death Eater had hurt her deeper than Voldemort had hurt Harry. Harry didn't know his parents when they were taken from him. Lilus did, sixteen years worth. All of it had been ripped from her.  
  
No doubt she had thought about the Death Eater. He knew Lilus wanted him dead. She wasn't one to give up easily. She was a proud girl. Finding her like that last night had been the strangest thing. His sanctuary was her sanctuary, her secret place. That picture that she adored, the one of Remus and his friends when they had just started out in the world. Friends since their first year. He was the last surviving Marauder. He was part of Lilus' family just like Jason was a part of her family. The American always made her smile. That silly, obnoxious American. Remus thought he looked a lot like Sirius; they had the same eyes, the same royal blue eyes.  
  
The same American that he found on the couch in the Gryffindor Common Room. Lilus always alerted him of the password, just for emergancies or something that required his entry. Jason looked up when the portrait of the Fat Lady in the pink dress swung open, and his brow wrinkled before he returned his eyes to the book he had been reading.  
  
"Morning, Moony," he said, grinning.  
  
Remus coughed and put Lilus on the couch before pulling her cloak off of him. Jason's surprised look begged him to explain.  
  
"Good morning, Mr. Alus. Ms. Potter came to my office last night to..."  
  
"Cry," Jason finished, giving him a pained look. "I know, Professor Lupin. I'm not as stupid as I look," he laughed quietly, putting the stupid grin on his face.  
  
Remus smiled and sat down on the other side of Jason. "She talked of you a lot, Mr. Alus. I trust that you two are good friends?"  
  
Jason smiled. "Yeah." he was quiet for a minute, and Remus was about to break the silence, but Jason said, "This feels weird. I'm talking to a professor like he's one of my homies."  
  
Lilus had often mentioned that the way her friend spoke was bizarre. Homies meant friends. He had heard that from her repeatedly.  
  
"Well, school's not in session yet," Remus whispered.  
  
Jason nodded. "Yeah."  
  
"What does she talk to you about?"  
  
Jason shrugged and looked up at him. "She doesn't really talk with me anymore, not after what happened. I want her to. You've seen how she fakes being happy. She's tearing herself apart inside. I just want her to talk to me about it, you know?"  
  
Remus nodded. "Yes, Mr. Alus, I do."  
  
"But before the accident, she talked to me about a lot of things. I assume that this is okay to tell you with you being her godfather and all. She was worried about those glowy eyes of hers and getting a boyfriend. She won't be worried about those anymore."  
  
Jason put his book down on the table.  
  
"Why are you out here so early?"  
  
The American grinned. "Bad habit. Started about October. Started to talk in my sleep. The boys didn't like it, so I started to sleep out here. It's really a lot warmer out here, with the fire and all. Lilus started to watch me. I found her sleeping out here one morning when I woke up. She puts on this hard exterior, but inside, I know, she's just like Kimmy. The problem is that darn shell."  
  
"She is a strong person."  
  
"She was a strong person," Jason corrected. "But, right now, I have to put her back together. They have a Quidditch game in a few days. I supposed that's when we'll see if anything suffers."  
  
"She's definitely her father's child. Seeker, and a good one at that."  
  
"Yeah. She likes you a lot. She really thinks you're cool. I think, that if she gets the chance, she'll come live with you."  
  
Remus nodded. Lilus wouldn't choose to live with Ron or Ginny, even though she loved them both dearly. She wanted to live with Remy, even though she'd have to be extremely careful during the full moon.  
  
"She's so pretty," Jason said suddenly. "I don't think she realizes how cool her eyes look. They glow in the dark! Isn't that awesome? She's soft too. Like if you hug her, you expect her to be really hard and stiff, but she's soft, soft and warm. She just has to find a guy to respect her for all her qualities. You like Every-Flavor-Beans, don't you? Yeah, Snape likes the frogs."  
  
"She buys me a bag everytime she goes to Hogsmeade, even with Severus. A bag of Chocolate Frogs."  
  
Jason grinned and nodded. "Quidditch helps her. She'd make a really good Beater right now. She puts everything into what she does. She'd blow the Bludger halfway to China easy, but I think that her being the Seeker is having a bad effect on her in that one way. You know what I mean?"  
  
"Yes. Well, Mr. Alus, it's been a joy speaking with you. Please wake her at a decent time and make sure she is alright."  
  
Remus stood up, and Jason grabbed his robes. "It's Talon, Moony. School's not in session yet. We're both Marauders, we understand. My name's Talon."  
  
"Oh, yes. Animagus. Stole the potion, correct?" Remus said, just hinting that he knew.  
  
"Yup, you know me better than I thought, Moony. But Lil...," he stopped, "Lilus...ouch...gave me one heck of a beating for stealing. It...pains me to remember."  
  
For some reason, Remus didn't think that's what he would have originally said, but he didn't make a fuss over it.  
  
Jason smiled as Remus left. "Bye, Moony."  
  
Remus turned around. "Farewell, Talon."  
  
And he left the Common Room. Jason made himself comfortable on the sofa and watched Lilus sleep. He could see dried, brown blood at the corners of her eyes and her shirt was red where she had cried last night.   
  
'That hard shell. Lilus, I know you don't love me, but let me through...'  
  
That damn shell. Why did it have to be around her? What was so bad about her eyes. He seriously couldn't find anything wrong with her. She was smart, she could have an intelligent conversation, she was fun, she was athletic, she was competitive, she had her virtues in the right place. What was wrong with her? She was the perfect girl. Sure, he was a little attracted, or maybe a lot, but she was a good friend, and it wouldn't feel right to have her as a girlfriend. At least he didn't think so.  
  
He crept next to her and gently shook her. She didn't wake up. He shook her a little harder, and she stirred to life. With eyes half closed, she yawned and stretched, grunting in the process. She rubbed her eyes and stared at Jason.  
  
"Jason? What...mmm...Remy's..."  
  
Jason smiled. "Moony brought you in this morning. You fell asleep in his office last night."  
  
Lilus sat up and tried to stand. "Oh, right."  
  
Jason pointed to her cloak. "You're stuff's right there."  
  
She turned her head and looked at it, then nodded and sat back down. "What time is it?"  
  
"Six. You can go back to sleep if you want to. I just wanted to wake you up so you wouldn't be scared finding me beside you. I wouldn't recommend going upstairs just yet. Lindsey's up there, and she'll freak if she sees blood on you. Why do you bleed so much now?"  
  
Lilus shrugged. "I guess it's because I slammed into that glass cabinet, but I really don't know. It's weird, isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah, but Lilus, seriously, you need to go back to sleep. You want me to go get a blanket or something?"  
  
She shook her head lazily, and it was apparent that she was still half asleep. She moved closer to him and cuddled his arm, much to his shock, surprise, and amusement. Lilus curled up next to him, with her chin resting on his shoulder, and both her arms around his. It was the perfect moment to him. Sure, he liked her a lot, and she was just...there. Warm, soft, and attached to his arm.  
  
Jason smiled to himself. He slid an arm under her knees and lifted her into his lap. He had slept like that with his dad before, and he remembered how sore he was the next morning. She leaned against his chest, and his arms curled around her to keep her there. He leaned his head back on the couch, and his eyes met something.  
  
Crookshanks.  
  
That old, mangy cat was standing at the top of the staircase staring at him with eyes that glowed in the dark. It seemed to be glaring at him, and it didn't move, not one muscle. After a few minutes, Crookshanks sat down at the top of the staircase, his eyes not blinking hardly at all. Jason shivered.  
  
'Lilus, your cat's gotta go. I swear to God that that thing's gonna eat my soul while I sleep.'  
  
Crookshanks turned and made his way down the spiral staircase. Jason really wished that the cat would go away when it approached the couch. The cat jumped up onto the empty space beside him, and the large ginger blob plopped down next to his right leg, his body vibrating almost violently.  
  
'Maybe you're not so bad after all.'  
  
Jason leaned his head back and closed his eyes. No nightmares came that night, and both he and Lilus slept soundly until Jason was awakened at eight thirty by Crookshanks' claws against his leg and dangerously close to...well...something else.  
  
****************************************  
  
"Nick! Pass the muffins! Noo...Jason, don't eat them all! Someone throw me a muffin!" Lilus squealed as Nick was teasing her with the silver pan of warm, fruity muffins.  
  
From farther down the table, someone threw a muffin in her direction. She caught it and waved it in the direction that it hailed from.  
  
"Thanks, Lindsey!" she said.  
  
"No problem, Lil," came the reply.  
  
Lilus ate her muffin quickly, because Nick would take his chances and try to steal it right out of her fingers if she gave him a window. Diego picked up a roll and threw it at his cousin. Jason plucked it from the air as it fell and chomped it down. A grape went flying, as well as an orange. Both ended up on Jason's plate. He was hording food for something, and it was rather amusing. Diego was sitting in awkward silence on the other side of Justin.  
  
"Today's the day. Lunchtime."  
  
Lilus grinned. The prank that Diego was supposed to grace them with was today. Their game was tomorrow. Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. Lilus was prepped and ready for the game. She was on her toes with the Bludgers thanks to Nick and Charlie.  
  
"Hey, Charlie! Bludger attack!"  
  
Charlie looked up from his plate, and Lilus pelted him with an orange. He caught it just before it hit his eye. She smiled and gave him a thumbs up. Charlie hurled the orange at her, but it was confiscated by Jason who now had a pile or rolls, muffins, oranges, and other fruit on his plate. He grinned and began throwing random pieces at his friends, laughing maniacally.  
  
"Muhahahahahahahhaaa!"  
  
She pinched Jason in his side, and he doubled over and giggled. All the boys were ticklish in some way. She was too, they just didn't know where. Jason seeemed keen on figuring out because he kept prodding her in different places hoping for a reaction.  
  
"Justin, did you have to transfigure a stick into a cat?" Lilus said, grimacing. "I'm having a little bit of trouble in that..."  
  
Justin looked up from his plate, and his eyes narrowed. "How...can...you," he whispered, "just shrug it off?"  
  
Lilus stared at him. "What?"  
  
"Your parents are dead, Lilus. Dead! As in you will never see them again! And you act like they just got in a car accident. Don't you know that they're dead?"  
  
His voice had risen, and the others stopped talking and were now staring fearfully down at them. Lilus felt the funny feeling behind her nose again, and the blood began to fall.  
  
"You saw them. I saw them. Not even thirty seconds after they were murdered! You were there! You watched them lay there dead!" Justin had tears falling down his cheeks, and his eyes were swollen. "Harry and Hermione are dead!"  
  
A lot of other people had noticed. Lilus stood up and tried hard not to cry in front of the entire school, but those blood tears were already soaking her robes. She glared harshly at Justin.  
  
"Justin, man, what was that for? You know she's sad about it," Jason said.  
  
"Justin, that was totally uncalled for!" Shawn yelled.  
  
"What the hell do you have to say for it?! You didn't see them die!" Justin bellowed back.  
  
"She mourns for them!" Shawn countered. "You just don't see it because she chooses it to be that way."  
  
"She doesn't act it!" Justin hissed.  
  
Nearly everyone in the Great Hall had gone silent. Lilus clenched her fists and turned around, walking towards the tall doors. She stopped at the edge and stared at the wall. She stared at Justin with her red eyes and hissed threateningly at him. Professor McGonagall stood up, whimpering slightly. Lilus cried loudly and slammed her fist into the wall, taking a small chunk out of the solid stone. She fell against the wall and slid down it, tears falling down her face and down her hands. She trembled violently as she stood up again and ran from the room. Jason jumped out of his place and ran after her, sending Justin the coldest death look that he could muster.  
  
Lilus ran down to the Quidditch field in the cold weather all by herself with tears streaming down her cheeks. She drew her cloak around her and sat one of the Gryffindor benches in their dressing room. She cried softly into her knees, and wished that the earth would just open up and swallow her.  
  
She did feel horrible about what had happened. She tried hard not to think about it, but it just wouldn't work that way. It would affect the rest of her life. It would always be a void in her heart. She just didn't want to force any bad feelings upon her friends. She didn't want to make them feel bad about what had happened, although they were probably putting on the happy face for her. She sobbed loudly and cried out in the silence, trying to release the pain. It hurt. It hurt her every second of every day. Her parents were dead. She would never see them again except in the pictures on the wall at her home.  
  
Why did Justin have to do that?  
  
He had never done that before. That completely blew her out of the water. He knew perfectly well that she was scared, lonely, sad beyond reason. No more. She was sad. She suddenly felt the urge to vomit, but she kept it in her stomach, whimpering to herself in the dark.  
  
"Lilus...?"  
  
The door opened, and Jason stood there, a sillouette against the morning sky. He ran forward to her and immediately embraced her tightly, holding her very close. His hand went to her neck and his arm was around her. She hugged his neck and cried.  
  
"Lilus, oh...I am so sorry," he whispered into her hair. "Justin is just scared. He doesn't know what he said. He didn't know."  
  
She sobbed loudly into his shoulder, trembling against him. God, he was so warm.  
  
"Shh. It'll be okay. I'm here for you. It's okay."  
  
"Jason...I'm just...trying to keep everyone happy."  
  
He sat down next to her and continued to hold him in his arms. "I know. They are proud of you because you're taking it so well. They know that it hurts you. I guess...since Justin was there...it affected him more. Calm down, chica. It's okay."  
  
"I can't keep it up. Not anymore. I tried...I tried..."  
  
"I know. You did good. Oh, geez. Your hand's bleeding."  
  
He opened his robes and tore at his Muggle t-shirt and tied the wound on her knuckles. She whimpered as he did, the nerves returning to her. Jason kissed her forehead and held her tight against him for the rest of breakfast.  
  
******************  
  
The boys had asked her if she was alright when she and Jason arrived at Transfiguration. Professor Aegis took her aside when she arrived at the class, hastily ushering Jason to his seat.  
  
"Ms. Potter, Professor Dumbledore wants to speak with you. He's waiting in the Great Hall," the young professor said with a pity look on his face.  
  
Lilus nodded and tried to mop more of the tears from her eyes. She just couldn't stop crying. She turned away from the classroom, and Jason jumped out of his desk to follow her, but Professor Aegis stopped him.  
  
"This includes her, Mr. Alus, not you. Sit down and do not disrupt this class again."  
  
Lilus sauntered down the hallway, drawing her hand over the stone walls. The halls were empty except for the occasional student that was late to class. She reached the Great Hall and entered cautiously, staring at the ground and making it a point not to look at the teachers. She could see that the small chunks of stone that had been on the floor had been put back into place on the wall and had been fixed with magic.  
  
"Ms. Potter...was that...when you spoke during that quarrel with Mr. Weasley...Parseltongue?"  
  
Lilus' head snapped up to stare at Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore. There were only three people in the room, and that was it. Lilus walked down to the end of the Gryffindor table before taking the seat closest to the teacher table where they sat. Both of them stared at her intently.  
  
"I don't know. Was it?" Lilus said in a partial growl.  
  
Dumbledore nodded. "Indeed, it was, child. A rare gift, yet your father possessed it. Is it perhaps...that you inherited it from him?"  
  
Lilus drew her knees up to her chest and shrugged again. "I can't remember any time where I've been able to speak Parseltongue. And...if it's not too much to ask, I'd rather not talk about...them."  
  
Minerva nodded, her withered face slightly saddened. "Please, Ms. Potter, understand that Mr. Weasley was with you at your parents' murders. He knew them most of his life as well."  
  
Lilus was silent, and she didn't look up at them.  
  
"Mr. Weasley knows them as second parents, and I'm sure his father has made Harry his godfather just as Harry made Ronald yours," she continued.  
  
"I'm sorry about the wall," she said, not really finding anything else to talk about.  
  
Albus smiled placidly. "Young one, as you can see it is healed, and I see that you have yet to be."  
  
Lilus snatched her hand under her robes. "I'm fine."  
  
"Ms. Potter, how did you manage the strength to break a stone wall with one punch?" Minerva said.  
  
Both of the teachers had wanted to know the answer, but Minerva had been the one to throw it at her.  
  
"I...I'm...an...uh...I don't know. I'm very strong for my age."  
  
Dumbledore nodded. "Very strong, indeed. Dear, if you wish to speak with someone about your parents' deaths, and I know you need to, any of the teachers will listen to you contently."  
  
Lilus shook her head. "This is my problem. I put on a happy face for the welfare of the teachers and my friends."  
  
"Professor Lupin tells me otherwise," Albus said, folding his hands.  
  
"Remy is my godfather. I'm probably going to end up living with either him or Uncle Ron or Aunt Ginny. Why shouldn't he know?"  
  
"He should, Lilus. But, when you hide what you truly are feeling, it is then that your friends fear for you the most," the old man said. "Talk to them, I implore you. Tell them the way you feel. Let them know your pain and suffering just once, and they will understand the wonderfully deceptive facade that you wear."  
  
There was a silence, and then Professor McGonagall said: "Dear, go visit Madame Pomfrey and then return to your class."  
  
Lilus was all to eager to get out of there. She couldn't cry anymore, it was too life-threatening. She walked down to the hospital wing, where Madame Pomfrey recieved her with open arms and a few healing spells.  
  
****************************  
  
"Albus, the blood tears, I do recall reading about that in a library, although unfortunately, I cannot recall which book or what the article was," Minerva said as she and the old wizard walked down the hall, propped up on a cane. "I just remember thinking that it was horrible."  
  
Albus looked at her with blank eyes. "What danger could that child be undergoing? Minerva?"  
  
"I do not know, but we need to find out as fast as possible. If this keeps happening, she could very well bleed to death!"  
  
He nodded. "I am aware of that, and it strikes fear into my heart. We must speak to Severus. If it is the symptom of something that was potion-inflicted, he will know, although if he did, I'm sure he would have alerted us by now."  
  
"What of Remus? Would he know anything about the blood tears?"  
  
"I shall ask all the teachers during lunchtime, my dear. If anyone knows anything about blood tears, we shall know."  
  
"If the answer does not come by the others, we much research this matter. Albus, for all we know, this could be a life and death matter."  
  
He met Minerva's deep, fearful stare with his own. "I know, Minerva. That is precisely why we cannot procrastinate about this. After the meal is over, we must go to the library and try to find a book about it. Madame Pince might be able to point us in the correct direction."  
  
"Albus, first James, now Harry, what will happen to Lilus?"  
  
"Only time can surely tell, Minerva. We can only hope for the best from her."  
  
The rest of their walk was silent and full of thought as they rushed to the library to begin their research that could either cause salvation or destruction. 


	13. Inside Joke

***Like so far? Thanks for sticking with me :). R&R!***  
  
Chapter 13  
  
By lunchtime, everyone had forgotten about Diego's promise, but as soon as they entered the Great Hall for lunch, they nearly died laughing. Lilus collapsed against Jason, who was now rolling on the floor with his face as read as a cherry. Nick and Charlie were screeching their amusement, and even Shawn could not help but laugh his polite, quiet head off at the sight. There were more people laughing with them, possible about twenty or thirty more.   
  
Hanging all along the ceiling, billowing with the slight draft, were robes, and by what Diego had told them, they were Frenchy's clothes. Everything that teenaged boy had worn was up there: underwear, shirts, black robes, red robes, blue robes, socks of just about every color. Everything. By time the teachers had arrived for lunch, the entire cafeteria was in an uproar of laugher. Some people had dropped where they were standing and burst out laughing when Frenchy walked into the room and stared with humongous eyes at his entire wardrobe hanging on the ceiling of the Great Hall. Someone must have started to pass out that they were his because soon, everyone was sniggering about him.  
  
Lilus only saw Frenchy once, and it was when he had that hilarious look of complete shock on his face. He later fled the scene, and the teachers later charmed his clothes back into their proper place, in his room, in his trunk. She saw Raphael for once in a long time. He also found the prank just as amusing as the Gryffindors had, although he was very cautious about showing it, but she could see the glee and satisfaction in his eyes.  
  
By time everyone had settled down and talk about the matter resulted in sharp giggles but nothing more, the meal was able to officially begin. All the Marauders were congratulating Diego for his accomplishment of public humiliation for Frenchy.  
  
"Well done, Diego! That was beautiful!" Baker squealed, pounding his fists on the table.  
  
Nick and Charlie were still trying to calm down and continued to snigger loudly through their teeth. Jason was having the same problem. Justin walked behind her and sat down next to her. She put her head in her arms and tried to ignore him, but she felt him wrapping his arms around her protectively. Did he feel the trembling that she was feeling.  
  
"I'm sorry, Lilus. I just...I don't want you to forget them."  
  
She reached around him and hugged him back. "I'll never forget them. You don't have to worry about that, Justin."  
  
He squeezed her one last time before releasing her, looking at the table shamefully. "I don't know what came over me, Lilus. I really don't. I just felt so mad."  
  
"I know, Justin. But right now, I'm hungry and you're hungry, and we have all this delicious food in front of us. I insist we get started," she said softly.  
  
Justin smiled and scratched the back of his neck, making his his strawberry blonde hair messier in on the nape of his neck. The Marauders piled their plates with food and chowed down with Jason on his constant search for cobbler.  
  
*********************  
  
Lilus was tired. That morning, she had lost a lot of blood crying over Justin, and she was ready to sleep. Sleep sounded so much like paradise. Of course, any professor she asked save Snape would probably let her go to the hospital wing. Hagrid was a cool guy, and he was so funny. She loved his class. It was like the zoo. It was a few minutes until class was to be dismissed, and his discussion on the newborn orphan gryphon on his shoulder still caught her interest. The baby was so cute. It had large eyes and its wings were just two nubs sticking out of its back. It was a gray color, and it purred against Hagrid's beard, rubbing its beak on him.  
  
Jason poked her in the side, and she turned to look at him. He had his "I'm cute so kiss me" expression on, and she smiled, putting her hand in the middle of his face. Baker chuckled just as Hagrid dismissed them for the day. Last class, they were so free, but not even fifteen minutes afterward, she felt something.  
  
"Stop, stop," she said, holding her arm out and stopping Baker and Nick, the two boys that were closest to her. Immediately all the others stopped.  
  
"Lilus, what's wrong?" Jason said.  
  
The hunch was back. Something wasn't right. What could be wrong?  
  
"Oh my God. Diego."  
  
She shoved Jason out of her way and dropped her back, making sure that she had her wand this time. Jason scooped her back off the floor, and everyone followed her, but they became lost in a river of students. Lilus ran down the hallway, dodging as many people as she could. She ran into this one girl, who shrieked and dropped her bag, spilling her books on the floor.  
  
"Sorry!" Lilus yelled after her.  
  
"You devil!"  
  
She sprinted her way across the castle with her destination being the Slytherin Tower. Hardly any teachers went up there, and that was why she was heading there first. Her hunch had started again. Frenchy was probably wanting revenge for what happened that morning, and Diego was in for it. Another problem was that Kimmy was always with Diego, so she would be with him. She began to feel faint as she began to slowly drip blood from her body through her skin and sweat, but she kept running as fast as she could. She had to get to Diego. She had to save Diego. No matter what. She had to get to that tower.  
  
No, don't hurt him. Beat me up, but leave Diego and Kimmy alone. Please, beat me up, but not them. Leave them alone.  
  
She knew Diego could hex really well, but he wasn't very muscular aside from his Quidditch muscles. If someone got his wand away from him, he would fight hard, but with the twenty or so people that followed Frenchy around, neither him nor Kimmy stood much of a chance. She nearly flew up the stairs, her heart beating faster than it should be. She was breathing slowly, having practiced swimming breathing techniques.  
  
"Leave them alone!" she screamed just as she reached the top of the staircase.  
  
Kimmy was being held by one of the Quidditch players, a Chaser. She was unharmed, but she was bawling her eyes out. Diego was sprawled on the ground stupefied, while the Slytherins each took their turns kicking him. His side was already bruised very badly. Before they turned around to see who had found them out, she had jumped on the back of the one currently kicking him, knocking him to the floor. She drew out her wand.  
  
"Stupify! Stupify! Stupify!"  
  
Three blobs of light escaped from the tip of her wand, and she dodged the oncoming spells. She flung punches at every face she saw, sending a lot of them to the floor. She went after the one holding Kimmy as soon as she could. He released Kimmy at once, and she rushed to Diego's limp body. They must have taken her wand from her. Neither Diego nor Kimmy had their wands. The boy that held Kimmy stood menacingly over her. Lilus saw Frenchy smirking at her just behind the Quidditch player.  
  
Wayne Hudson. That was his name, and he was a very nasty Quidditch player. He shoved her away from him, but she was on her feet in seconds.  
  
There was no way she would lose to a Slytherin. She lunged for his legs and tackled him. He tripped and fell over, and she proceeded to punch the hell out of his face before he grabbed her and threw her against the wall.  
  
"Get outta here!"  
  
Diego came to as Kimmy ushered him away from the scene after following Lilus' order. She had retrieved their wands from the Slytherin that was groaning on the floor, and they were out of there. Kimmy hexed as many of them as she could before they started to turn on her. She grabbed Diego and ran.  
  
The Slytherins had come to and were ganging up on her. Lilus felt someone grab her arm. She whirled around and punched him while, hexing another one. She hexed the boy that she was fighting, and it knocked him backwards. She suddenly felt multiple hands grab ahold of her. The attacks on her stopped, and she could no longer give them out. Frenchy came out behind his barrier of bodies.  
  
"Potter, dear, you have fought gallantly, and your little friend has been punished enough. You, however, I still owe something. Good night, Potter."  
  
"You stupid bast-"  
  
She felt her body being whipped against the wall, and she heard something crunch. She felt blood began to trickle down her head as everything went fuzzy in the room. Then she heard something about the dungeon. She fell limp as everything went black around her.   
  
*************************  
  
Red eyes. She didn't mind her eyes so much now. It seemed so selfish to worry about something like that. She had much bigger things to worry about. Things that could possibly be less perminant. Things that she would have to work for. Those memories that she would have to strive hard to remember. A family that she needed to protect. A family that she needed to avenge. Friends that needed protection. Death Eaters that needed to be killed.  
  
They needed to be remembered.  
  
Not eyes or boyfriends Not those things that teenaged girls were supposed to treasure so much. Stupid things. Some people would never know loss. Some people would never know disipline or wisdom. Some people would never be able to experience heart break. Those were people that would never live life to its fullest. Those were people who didn't realize anything important in life.  
  
A searing pain brought Lilus temporarily back into the real world. She opened her eyes and saw a blurry figure above her. At first, its hair was almost white, but then it darkened. It drew a cloth down on her forehead and more pain.  
  
"Mmmmm..." the voice said.  
  
It wasn't Jason, Justin, or any of the boys.  
  
More pain.  
  
She fell back into darkness.  
  
Who was holding her? She could feel something equivilant to being held, but who was doing it? That voice was not one that she recognized. The bandage around her head was beginning to sting. Or was it the gash that it covered. Lilus felt warmth in the arms of this stranger, although she wasn't sure that they were certain of who she was. If they knew, they would run or hurt her some more. She felt a horrible pain in her side and figured that she suffered from the same fate as Diego. She felt a draft all over her stomach, and she figured that the stranger had found out about that too. It, all of a sudden, began to hurt to breathe. She could feel her breath come out in a harsh, raspy cough. She could feel the soft vibrations of his voice as he spoke to her, but the words she did not hear. Everything he said was just a deep "mmm," and he sounded like he was humming to her.  
  
Had she come so close to bleeding to death that she suddenly became aware of things that she did not. She heard a heartbeat, but she was not directly on his chest, more or less a shoulder, or so she thought. She really wasn't sure. Her body had gone numb. No doubt she had lost a lot of blood. She could feel his warmth. That warmth. She knew she was cold. She couldn't feel it, but she knew it. She tried to open her eyes again, but she failed miserably.   
  
Sometime after that, she fell asleep, her mind content with the warmth around her. It was after she woke up that the words began to make sense. The boy had been talking most of the time, whispering in soft words for her to be okay and not be dead. She probably looked dead, considering how cold and pale she was. She couldn't open her eyes yet, and she still breathed very hoarsely.  
  
"Thank God. Be okay, be okay. Wake up, Lilus. I'm so sorry. Wake up."  
  
The words were being analyzed. Who was that boy? Where had she heard that before?  
  
The train...  
  
Snid...  
  
The Ravenclaw...  
  
She opened her eyes a little bit, but they collapsed closed again. "Nnnnn..."  
  
It was a pathetic attempt at speech, but she was still living. Now he knew she knew he was there. She had acknowledged him. He was there.  
  
"Lilus...it's me. Can you hear me?"  
  
"Sss..."  
  
"It's Snid."  
  
Silence.  
  
"I was afraid to move you or else I would have taken you to Madame Pomfrey immediately. Forgive me."  
  
Damn, her head hurt.  
  
She opened her eyes, and they stayed open that time, but the image was still very blurry. She tried to move her arm, but it slid across her stomach and stung her side, gaining a sharp hiss from her.  
  
"I think some of your ribs are broken. Do you want me to leave you and go find Professor Snape?"  
  
She did her best to shake her head no. She felt him scoop her against her. It was very painful, but he managed to make it warmer. She closed her eyes again, blinking several times in an attempt to make the image clearer.  
  
It came slightly into focus, but not much. It was still fuzzy.  
  
"Please, you're awake now. Let me go get Professor Snape. He'll know what to do. I'll be right back. I promise."  
  
He gently put her on the floor and took off the outer layer of his robes to blanket her with it. She lay curled up on the floor, her bruised and broken side free from any tension. It was so cold in the dungeon, even with her blood-soaked clothes and his cloak. Lilus wasn't sure how long she was there, but she drifted off to sleep eventually.  
  
Snid came back with Professor Snape on his heels. Snape was an old man, but he still had muscle on his old body. He was surprisingly lean and in shape for someone of his age. Lilus felt her body being levitated into the air.  
  
"I demand to know what happened," Snape spat at Snid.  
  
"I swear, professor, I don't know. I just heard someone in the hallway talk about her being in the dungeon. I think it was a Slytherin who did it, sir."  
  
She was levitated into the hospital wing, where more healing spells and a night stay were needed, not to mention a bloodcell growth spell. She was put in the bed to let the spells set in. Her headache was still throbbing, but she could see decently now. She was lying in bed with the bandage still around her head and side.  
  
"Make that tomorrow night, okay, Lilus?" she heard Snid whisper before Madame Pomfrey sent him back to his house.  
  
Of course it was him. She should have guessed that from the very beginning. The young man that was lost in the crowd. The boy with a rediculous but stunningly mysterious nickname. He wanted to meet her again. She probably owed him her life. There was no clue how long she would have survived in such a vast place as the dungeons. Only Snape and Filch knew the entire dungeon like the back of their hands.   
  
*********************  
  
Later, after she was out of the hospital wing, she just couldn't help but feel that she could be in there again very soon. The game was that day, and it happened to be Saturday, and Saturday meant no school, just free time. She left the hospital wing energized with a small headache, but it was just a little one.   
  
As she walked through the door and into the Great Hall, Jason and all the gang jumped up and rushed over to her. They crowded her in a human forcefield.  
  
"Lilus, Diego told us what happened. You never came back to the dorm last night," Jason said.  
  
"Someone said that you were in the hospital wing all night," Justin said.  
  
Soon, the air was full of disturbing questions that Lilus really wasn't in the mood to answer. For one, she didn't know much about what had happened. Diego and Kimmy sat across from her, their faces showing sympathy and admiration.  
  
"I was slammed into the wall, and when I woke up, Snid was there."  
  
"Snid? Who's Snid?" everyone said almost at the same time.  
  
Snid. He had saved her. She didn't know what would happen if he had not come down there and found her.  
  
"A friend...he...saved me," she said quietly.  
  
She smiled awkwardly and ate, while Kimmy and Diego amused them with the finer details of the fight.  
  
Their game was shortly before lunch. The professors had wanted to start it just after lunch because that was when it was warmest. They didn't want their players to freeze to death. She was scared. There was no telling just exactly what Frenchy and his goons did last night, and she felt a shame. She glared at him head on when she saw him at the lunch table. He glared back, but now, the hatred was smaller than before. He seemed to be laughing at her. He had won last night, but not after she took out probably six or eight of his friends. She would never be in that position again. Never. She'd have to get Jason to start practicing her spells with her again. She seemed to like punching and kicking more than hexing or jinxing. He loved to do both.   
  
Jason was becoming more lovable by the day. She really didn't think he would be such a bad boyfriend. He was sweet. He was funny, sometimes anyway. He cared. He loved. It was a surprise that he was single. He had such a nice personality, and he wasn't bad looking. She had begged her boys not to go after the Slytherins for two reasons. One, if they got hurt, they wouldn't be in the game, and two, she didn't want to have to confront him before the game.  
  
They decided to go hang out in the courtyard and practice transfiguring sticks and leaves into whatever came to mind. She had transfigured a stick into a small dagger, and the dagger into a necklace, and the necklace into the stick again. She leaned against the tree and closed her eyes, trying to remember every spell that she knew. She nodded off again, something that she had been doing very recently due to short blood shortage. She always felt tired, and she had to be alert during the game. She had never seen Frenchy play before.  
  
She saw herself flying over a forest, arms outstretched but no wings. She was flying with just her body, her body. The air was warm. So warm. It reminded her of summertime at home, the heat from Snid's body. The warmth felt so good.  
  
"Lilus, wake up. We have to go get ready for the game," Baker said, shaking her softly.  
  
She smiled lazily and felt Charlie and Baker pull her to her feet. She stretched and looked around. There were other students in the courtyard, students that were studying or doing homework. Most had smiles on their faces under the sun. The ground was lightly covered with frost, but it seemed to attract more students than the green grass did.  
  
Lilus followed Charlie and Baker down to the Quidditch field and into their dressing house. She went into the room specifically for girls and began to put on her armor and robes.   
  
"Lilus, are you ready?"  
  
"Yeah, hold on," she said, grabbing her broom and leaving the dressing room.   
  
All the boys were dressed in their brightly colored uniforms. She smiled, taking in how bonded they all looked. They were ready for the battle.  
  
"Let's kick some Slytherin ass," Diego roared, throwing his arm in the air.  
  
There was a loud cheer that made the walls shake. Lilus cheered with them, ready for the game to begin.  
  
**************************  
  
"Minerva, Severus, any progress? Madame Pince?" Albus said, reading through one of the many tomes that he could get his hands on.  
  
The teachers glanced upwards from their books and shook their heads with despair in their eyes before continuing to scan the pages of the books. There were so many, and they had been at it for a long time. Minerva closed her book and put it in an abandoned pile across from her and put her old face in her hands.  
  
"Albus, forgive me! I just cannot remember where that article was," she cried.  
  
"Minerva, it is quite alright. We just need to keep searching. I am sure that it will turn up," he replied softly.  
  
"Minerva," said Madame Pince, "is it possible that you read the article at another place?"  
  
Minerva nodded. "I could have been, but I do not recall when I read the article or else I would be able to know where. If it were for my ignorance, she could be saved!"  
  
They saw someone enter the restricted section, and all their heads turned toward him. Remus Lupin stopped on the spot and dropped the three books he was holding.  
  
"Oh, uh...so sorry. Was I interupting anything?" he said, his hands trembling slightly.  
  
"Remus," Albus said, standing from his soft chair, "you are aware of your goddaughter's blood tears, are you not?"  
  
Remus nodded. "Yes, Albus."  
  
"Minerva recalls something that could mean the destruction of young Ms. Potter."  
  
He nodded. "I know. I am trying to find a way to rid her of it. I read it in a book once. It was only mentioned, hinted at..."  
  
Severus growled, "What is it?!"  
  
"It is called Crimson Tears. I have tried to find a book on it, but it seems that this is something that has only happened one other time in history, and there was no record kept of it."  
  
"What book had that in it?" Severus hissed.  
  
"I cannot remember the book, but it had something to do with phantoms or ghosts or such," Remus said sadly. "It did not elaborate any on it. It just mentioned it."  
  
"What could be doing that to her?" Minerva said shakily.  
  
Severus folded his hands. "The same thing that allowed a sixteen-year-old witch smash her fist into a stone wall and break it."  
  
"That puzzles me greatly," Albus said. "No strength of a child could possess that much force..."  
  
Remus nodded. "We need to find something on Crimson Tears."  
  
They called Madame Pince over to their table and began to write letters to their fellow professors at Beauxbatons and Durmstrang for any information on Crimson Tears. Any information would be vital.   
  
"Should we tell Ms. Potter?" Minerva said.  
  
"No, don't tell her," Remus said hastily. "She has too much to worry about now."  
  
Albus nodded. "If Ms. Potter is not to know, we must make our research as quick as possible."  
  
All the professors agreed. 


	14. REBIRTH

***Hmm. Snid has entered the picture. And what are these feelings about Jason? What is lurking deep in Lilus' body?***  
  
Chapter 14  
  
Sometimes it feels wonderful to feel adrenaline rushing through ones body, such as in times of great excitement. Sometimes it is a very nerve-wrecking feeling, like when something harmful is coming. For Lilus Potter, it was both. Her body was trembling with the need to exert energy. Exercise was a very good stress relief. They were summoned by the whistle, and she flew out like always.  
  
This time, however, the wind was blowing very hard past her ears. The wind had started a few minutes earlier, and it howled wildly, whipping her robes every which direction. She darted around the sky, waving to all the Gryffindors and watching all the red and gold robes cheer. She flew skyward and dropped straight down before catching herself and taking to the sky again.  
  
That was when she caught sight of Alex. He was flying around as well, but he had kept his eyes on her. His green robes billowed in the wind, and his hair was slicked back as always. She saw the same laughter in his eyes. She saw the same happiness. He flew next to her, and they circled an invisible pillar, staring daggers at each other.  
  
"Did you have fun in the dungeon, Potter?" he spat.  
  
"You know if I had died, you would have been put in Azkaban along with all the other stupid little Slytherins," she said hatefully.  
  
"Yes, I know, which is precisely I let you live."  
  
"May the best Slytherin lose," she said, going into position as the whistle sounded.  
  
"Hold your tongue, viper," he whispered.  
  
They faced each other in silence, waiting for the Quaffle to be thrown. A split second later it was, and they were off. Both of them shot upwards to scan the field for the gold flash. Then the Beaters bagan to come after her. She saw them coming, herding one Bludger between them, in her direction. Nick and Charlie were busy batting another one around, protecting their players from the evil ball. The Bludgers were strangely bewitched that day. They were flying very fast and very hard, much like during the last Quidditch practice.  
  
Lilus quickly saw what was coming. She flew to the side, forgetting about the Snitch for a brief second. Then she saw Frenchy was chasing the Snitch. She flew after it, her cloak whipping around her shoulders. With the Beaters trailing her closely, she tried very hard to evade the Bludger. Without notice, the Snitch shot stright up, and so did she. It was doing it again. It had done that during the last game. It would go up very high. She didn't like going up that high. It was very dangerous.  
  
She and Frenchy flew skyward, and he came closer to her and tried to kick her off her broom. She avoided it easily, but her mind was beginning to go one track. Snitch. Snitch. Snitch. It was flying about twenty feet ahead of them, and they were closing in. The Snitch had been tampered with. It was the only explaination. It wasn't supposed to go that high. The chills began again. The cold. It wasn't that bad anymore. She was almost always cold now. It was so natural.  
  
It felt like icewater. She had been five at the time, and going out on the frozen pond seemed like a very good idea at the time. She was dressed up in like twenty layers of clothes. Five years old and her mother still worried like crazy about her. She slid across the ice, her shoulder-length black hair peeking from under her tobogan. Her eyes had been so big and innocent back then, red ot not. They were innocent. She was prancing across it, confident that it would not break. Everything was white around her, her house, the ground, the trees. It was so beautiful, like the pictures on expensive postcards. She ignored the wind nipping at her cheeks and continued to bounce happily like a little kid did. Then she slipped and fell extra hard on her rump, causing small cracks to form over the surface.  
  
"Daddy!"  
  
Harry had been standing inside the kitchen talking to his wife. He looked out of the window just in time to see her crashing through the ice. With the largest amount of fear, he ran outside, drawing his wand as he went. With one screamed spell, all of the ice on the top had melted, and he dove under to get her before she sunk to the bottom. Her clothes were drinking in the water, and it was sinking her faster than he had expected. He swam to the bottom and plucked her from it before swimming back up. Her mother had started a hot bath and both of them got out of their clothes before they caught something painful.   
  
Falling down in water took forever. Ice touched your veins faster than anything before. All you could do was stare at the surface through fearful eyes and watch your air escape your body, while you sank deeper and deeper. You knew that once the ice touched your heart, it was over.  
  
Lilus felt it touch her heart, and she felt her father swipe her and bring her to the surface at that very same instant. She felt death. She saw death. She knew death.  
  
And she knew rebirth.  
  
Lilus flew faster through the icey winds, forgetting about everything except the Snitch. The Beaters were gone, but the Bludger was still coming. Frenchy was beginning to slow down, but then he sped up again, determined not to be defeated by the woman he hated so much. That Snitch became her father. That Snitch was her father, and she wasn't letting anyone else take it. It wasn't theirs. He was her father. He was her father. The Snitch swirved and began downward again. She turned and followed it, falling fast and falling hard.  
  
Then she found herself coming face to face with a Bludger.  
  
It slammed into her eyes and forehead, sending her head back with a sickening crack. Blood flowed from her head, and the hit sent a shockwave through her body, causing it to spasm in some places. She righted herself and continued to fly, not noticing that anything had gone wrong. She saw the Snitch turn, and she turned as well. The Beater swung his bat at the Bludger coming toward him. She dodged it the first time with it barely missing her ear.   
  
She followed the Snitch up again. Frenchy was right on her heels, if not closer. They went back into the cold air, really high above the stadium. What the hell wsa wrong with that Snitch? Frenchy flew up and grabbed her hair, yanking her head back. She stopped just as the Snitch darted somewhere. Lilus suddenly felt something crack against the back of her head, and her grip on her broom disappeared.  
  
Jason had told her about when he first realized how to fly. He would soar high into the air, then he would turn back into a human and fall, just for the heck of it. Then, he would turn into an eagle again and land safely.  
  
She felt the icy water around her once more, and her body sank into infinite darkness. She saw Frenchy's face. There were a few specks of red on it, her blood. He looked scared. He looked so terrified. She sank deeper and deeper, falling. The speaker's voice came into her senses, but it wasn't the normal guy. It was Jason.  
  
"LILUS, FLY! JUSTIN, BAKER! SOMEONE CATCH HER! LILUS, OPEN YOUR WINGS AND FLY! LILUS, DO IT NOW! YOU'LL DIE IF YOU HIT THE GROUND! JUSTIN!"  
  
'Fly, Lilus.'  
  
'I don't know how.'  
  
'Good time to learn, yes? Fly, baby girl, fly.'  
  
'How? Tell me.'  
  
'Think it, baby girl.'  
  
'I'm thinking.'  
  
She lost herself. She closed her eyes and saw her fingers growing longer, saw them become webbed. She saw them become black and beautiful. She felt her body growing longer. She felt her body transforming.  
  
'Wing it, baby girl.'  
  
She opened her eyes and stretched her fingers as far as they would go. She drew them in front of her and tried to fly like she saw on television and such. Flap her wings. She tried to, but it wasn't catching on anything. It wasn't catching on any wind. There was a loud scream from the crowd. Lilus felt adrenaline pump through her body like her blood, and she felt her blood run cold.   
  
"LILUS, TURN OVER! FLAP YOUR WINGS!"  
  
Jason's voice again. He said it took him very long to learn how to fly. How was she supposed to learn in fifteen seconds or less?  
  
"JUSTIN, DAMMIT GET HER!"  
  
Lilus couldn't turn over. She was too big and two heavy, and her wings prevented her from rolling onto her stomach. She also noticed that she was falling head first. She couldn't hit the ground like that. The force would probably break her neck.  
  
But she did.  
  
The impact to her was in slow motion, and it didn't hurt at first. She tried to move a few seconds, succeeding in only a few feet of space, but then the panic and pain set in, and she was lying still on the ground. For a few minutes, she just lay there in the falling dust, listening to the teachers rush the students out of their seats. There was a panic among them, and they were rushed into Hogwarts. She felt Jason next to her, as well as the rest of the Quidditch players.  
  
"Don't touch her!" he spat.  
  
She slowly felt her body fulfill the transformation, then the heat built up within her, and she passed out.  
  
After they had returned her to her proper form, the Professors found the Snitch under her, crushed with broken wings.  
  
*********************************  
  
'Baby girl, wake up.'  
  
'Who are you?'  
  
'A memory.'  
  
'Of what?'  
  
'I'm your father.'  
  
'Really?'  
  
'Of early.'  
  
'Why don't you ever talk to me?'  
  
'Only able to when you are sleeping or in a time like the game.'  
  
'Who are you?'  
  
'Harry. It's me, baby girl.'  
  
'Why aren't you with Mom? Where's Mom?'  
  
'Heaven.'  
  
'Why aren't you there?'  
  
'I'm not sure, baby girl. Time to wake up.'  
  
**************************  
  
Lilus sat straight up in bed, breathing sharply. She clutched her chest and panted, turning from side to side. The hospital wing. Her left hand was in a bandage, and it felt funny. What was happening? Why was all this happening? It happened after Christmas. It all happened after Christmas. What was that voice that she kept hearing?  
  
"Lilus, dear? Are you awake?" came the small voice of Madame Pomfrey.  
  
The small woman walked into the room holding a fuzzy teddy bear with a red ribbon on it. She stopped at the doorway and stared at Lilus.  
  
"What...happened?" the young woman croaked.  
  
"I'm not sure, dear. I was not there, but from what the others said, you transformed just before you hit the ground. That may have been the only reason why you aren't dead. Because of this incident, they are postponing your match with Slytherin, and you are to stay here until further notice." Madame Pomfrey must have noticed that she was staring at the teddy bear. "A boy dropped this off a while ago. He was very handsome."  
  
"What was his name?"  
  
"He didn't say. He had brown hair though, if that helps."  
  
Madame Pomfrey handed it to her and sat down on the corner of the bed. Lilus clutched it to her tightly.  
  
"Why is my hand bandaged?"  
  
"It was odd. After you had turned back, your hand took a rather strange form. Severus put an ointment on it, and I bandaged it."  
  
It was early morning when she woke up. Lilus stayed in the hospital wing till about five that evening, talking to Madame Pomfrey and holding her new teddy bear. It was probably Jason who left it. Brown hair suited him perfectly. The house elves brought up her meals, and she was confined to the white prison until Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall came to the room. Lilus retreated to a chair in the corner, holding her teddy bear and glaring at the floor. She didn't want to talk now.  
  
"Ms. Potter, we have things to discuss about your irrational behavior these past few days," Professor McGongall said sternly.  
  
"Child, we are troubled. Why did you not tell us about your Animagi ability?" Professor Dumbledore asked.  
  
She was waiting for them to ask more questions, but they were silent and awaited her answer. She stared at the floor in shame. Why didn't she tell them? She knew that there was a long registration process for an Animagus. Jason had told her that he went through miles of paperwork before he could leave the Ministry of Magic. That was probably why. Or was it because she was a dragon?  
  
"Because I was scared," she said, looking up at them.  
  
"Of what?"  
  
"What would you have done if you were in my shoes, tell the world that you were a dragon Animagus? Tell them that you cried your own blood every night?"  
  
Minerva was for a while. "Ms. Potter, we are your teachers. You can tell us, and we will prevent any trouble to you. But after what happened yesterday, the students in your classes refuse to be taught with you. The Quidditch team, however, is not the least bit shocked, especially Justin Weasley and this rather disturbing young man named Jason Alus."  
  
"Dear, when did you take the potion?" Dumbledore asked quietly.  
  
"Just before Christmas," she whispered. "Just before the accident."  
  
Both of them noticed that she was holding the Muggle toy in her arms extremely tight.   
  
"Before Mom and Dad died, Jason and Justin were there when I took it in the Whomping Willow. I would have told you, but I was scared."  
  
Albus nodded. "Have...you been...hearing anything strange lately?"  
  
"Voices?"  
  
How did he know about the voices?  
  
"My dad talks to me," she said before suddenly regretting it.  
  
Both of the teachers looked at each other with slightly saddened eyes. There was a deep silence for a long time before Minerva said something.  
  
"Lilus, your classes will be taken in private and at night. You shall be kept away from your fellow students until the panic dies down."  
  
She glared at Professor Dumbledore. "There is always a panic. Just in case you haven't noticed, I look a lot like Voldemort. Do you think they don't notice that? Do you think that me having glowing red eyes make them calm? They think I'm demonic, and I'm beginning to believe them."  
  
She stood up and retreated to another chair, holding the bear protectively.  
  
"I need my friends... I need Remy. I need them."  
  
Albus nodded his head. "That is understood, dear, but do you want to put them in danger?"  
  
"Danger? How would I put them in danger?"  
  
They were silent.  
  
"I only transformed to save my life. Forgive me. Next time I won't," she growled.  
  
"There is no need for your smart tongue, Ms. Potter. We understand what you have gone thro..."  
  
"No, you don't," she said.  
  
"True, we do not, but, Lilus, we have to keep the other Hogwarts students safe as well as you."  
  
Lilus returned to her bed and sat. "So what happens tomorrow?"  
  
"You will return to your dormatory tonight. Tomorrow, you shall come to my office as soon as possible. I advise you not to join breakfast with your friends. You will be served in my office, understood?" Minerva said.  
  
Lilus nodded and refused to look up at them when they left.   
  
**************************  
  
"Snid?" she called, removing her Invisibility Cloak from her shoulders.  
  
It was eleven o'clock, and she was at the Astronomy Tower.  
  
"I'm here," he said.  
  
She glanced above her. He was perched on the roof, looking at the sky. He leaned forward and looked at her, a smile across his face.  
  
"Care to join me?" he asked.  
  
She shrugged. "Aren't you afraid of me...? After what happened yesterday?"  
  
Snid slid off the roof and landed on the small wall that lined the tower. "Not really. I know all about Animagus. If you really wanted to hurt me, you would. Animagus only transform at will, but it is very spectacular to know that you can turn into a dragon. You could probably eat a grown man like that, and you can fly!"  
  
He sat on the wall and smiled at her, crossing his legs and arms. She sat down on the wall beside him and put her head in her hands.  
  
"I'm a freak of nature. Everyone in Hogwarts is scared of me."  
  
Snid sighed and looked at the floor. "Not everyone. Your friends aren't. Those are real friends, Lilus. They love you. They care."  
  
She smiled weakly, remembering how Jason was almost on her when she hit the ground. "Yeah, they do."  
  
"Did you like the teddy bear?"  
  
She glanced at him. "You sent it?"  
  
He grinned sheepishly and nodded. His brown hair was parted in the middle, and it hung down much like Raphael's did. His face was smiling and happy, and his eyes glistened with glee.  
  
"Did you like it?"  
  
"Yeah. It...really helps."  
  
She turned around and let her legs hang off the side of the tower. The sky was so dark, and millions of stars littered it and twinkled. The half moon glowed brightly in the sky and cast a sheen over her face.  
  
"I didn't know if you liked teddy bears, but it's the only thing that came to mind," he said. "And I'm not afraid of you."  
  
She looked at the ground far below. "You're one of the few."  
  
"What's...what's it like to fly?" he asked, his voice breaking.  
  
She looked at him and smiled. "It's...well...I really can't tell you. I don't know how to fly yet. I probably need to learn, though. Might go out into the forest one night and try."  
  
"Are you and that Jason boy dating?"  
  
She laughed. "No, what makes you ask?"  
  
"He seems really attached to you," Snid said with a hint of sadness.  
  
"We're good friends. He's been there for me, since my parents died. All of my friends have. If it weren't for them, I...probably would have put an end to it all."  
  
She felt a knot in her throat. Suicide. She had gotten so desperate at the end of Christmas vacation that she took a razor into the bathroom and sat on the back of the toilet, trying to figure out if she should cut herself or not. Moaning Myrtle talked her out of it, even though at the end, she added that if Lilus did want to kill herself, she could always come stay in a toilet. That's when Lilus decided never to commit suicide.  
  
"I'm glad you didn't, Lilus. I never would have gotten to speak with you."  
  
The way he spoke was strange. It was...almost...envious. "Yeah, me either."  
  
"I must...tell you something, though," he said quietly, ending his words with his hand running through his hair. "It's not exactly good news either," His voice went low and serious, almost cold. "You know Raphael is a Death Eater? His cousin is one too."  
  
She felt her heart stop.  
  
*************************  
  
"Release me, Alexander! I am the Dark Lord's servant, not yours!"  
  
Something was slammed into the wall, and there was an oomf!   
  
"I am his servent too, cousin. You are disobeying your orders...and that deserves death."  
  
"Get off of me," she heard Malfoy growl. "You touch me again, and I'll..."  
  
Frenchy slammed him into the wall again. "You'll what? You haven't said a cross word to that girl yet. You are supposed to be putting her down as much as you can this year! She is supposed to be depressed, not getting stronger!"  
  
"I don't take orders from you, Alex. Let go of me," he said, his voice low. "You may be a Death Eater, but you're not him."  
  
"I may be his right hand sooner or later, coz. I suggest you start following your orders before your father finds out that you haven't."  
  
*************************  
  
That conversation between Frenchy and Raphael. Both of them were Death Eaters. Both of them were part of the group that had killed her parents. Both of them probably knew who killed her parents.  
  
"I...wasn't certain, but I suspected," she choked.  
  
Snid touched her shoulder. "He trusts me, Lilus. Raphael is my friend, and he trusts me. He wants to help you."  
  
"Help me?"  
  
Snid nodded. "Lilus, the Death Eaters are stirring again. From the meetings, he has told me that you are to be used by the Dark Lord in some way or another. He thinks that they're using your body to bring him back to life."  
  
Lilus felt her hand tremble. It wasn't her right hand, it was her left hand, the one that was still bandaged.  
  
"But...Voldemort's dead..."  
  
"They're resurrecting him." Snid removed himself from the wall and knelt down in front of her, taking both her hands. "Lilus, I know you don't know me very well, but you know Raphael. He wants to help you, no trick. I believe him about this, and you should too."  
  
"What proof does he have?" she whimpered.  
  
"That he has not told me," Snid said softly. "But know that he wants to help you."  
  
"Snid, I really don't know. He's a Slytherin, and for all these years, he's been a thorn in my side."  
  
His grip on her hands tightened, and his eyes narrowed. "Lilus, this is serious. The Death Eaters are trying to bring Voldemort back to life inside of you. Inside of you! Raphael is serious about helping you, Lilus. If word got to the Death Eaters that he was even remotely trying to help you, he would be killed. And he has his cousin watching his every move. His cousin hates him you know. Alex hates him." Tears fell down his cheeks, and his eyes were horribly scared. "He's risking his life to help you. Doesn't that mean anything?"  
  
Lilus was scared. If Voldemort was inside her...what did that mean?  
  
"What is he going to help me with?"  
  
Snid straightened his back, and came almost eye to eye with her. "He told me that Voldemort lives inside you just to live. He cannot hear, he cannot see, he cannot feel. Raphael said that he would teach me exorcism spells to teach you. I believe that he is loyal to Voldemort, Lilus, but he is loyal to himself, and that is why he is doing this."  
  
"Exorcism?"  
  
"He has not taught me anything. We will have to wait," he tried to make himself taller, but he was just on his knees, and the top of his head was about chin height to her. "Listen to me. Do not tell the professors. Don't tell anyone. ANYONE! This is very important! You can't whisper this even to a blade of grass or your soul! Promise me that you won't, Lilus!"  
  
She was shaking, and the blood tears were flowing again. "I...I...promise."  
  
"I know you're scared, but understand that if anything goes wrong, Raphael and I will alert your friends and godparents and the professors. Try not to be afraid," he whispered hoarsely, his eyes glittering with tears. "Please, don't be afraid."  
  
His voice suddenly went soft and careful, a bare whisper.  
  
Snid removed his hand from hers and took it to her cheek, leaving a burning sensation on the back of her hand. And time seemed to stand still as he drew her wet face to his and kissed her with all the radiance of the full moon. 


	15. Betrayed

Chapter 15  
  
Lilus opened her eyes and looked at her watch. It was six o'clock. No doubt the professors were up. Lilus listened to the silence of the night for a few minutes, lying there and staring at the ceiling. She listened to her breath. She listened to her heartbeat. She closed her eyes and opened them again, sliding out of bed in her usual pajamas. Her teddy bear fell onto the floor. She stopped on the spot and stared at it, before reaching down and grabbing its small arm. Still too early, but she did not wish to go back to sleep again. Jason was probably awake, though. She slowly walked across the room, taking the handle in her hand. She turned it quietly, gaining a small squeak from it. The door opened without hesitation, and she slowly walked down the stairs, her bare feet patting against the stone staircase.  
  
Jason was on the couch, his nose in a book. He had turned into quite the little bookworm lately. He glanced up at her, then to the teddy bear in her hands. He smiled at her and patted the couch next to him.  
  
"You're up early," he said, putting his bookmark in his book and putting it on the table. "Is something wrong?"  
  
She shook her head. "No, nothing's wrong. I'm just restless."  
  
He looked at her with one eyebrow raised. "You're lying, and you said you would tell me why you were out late last night."  
  
She smiled awkwardly. "Well, I'm not allowed to come to class with you guys for a while."  
  
Jason's shocked and frustrated face was very clear. "What?!"  
  
"Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall think I'm a danger to the students, and they want to keep me away until the panic has died down," she said, sitting next to him.  
  
"Lilus, that's bullshit," he growled. "That's so total bullshit it's making me sick."  
  
She nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's what I said. They didn't let up, though. They acted like they were scared of me."  
  
They must have known about her being possessed. That would be the only logical reason that they would fear her for anything. They must know what Snid had told her last night. Someway or another, they knew.  
  
"Scared of you? Just for transforming into a dragon to save your life?!"  
  
Jason was not yelling, but he was coming just under talking normally. Lilus sighed irritatingly and leaned on the arm of the sofa.  
  
"It's not fair," she growled. "I go to Professor McGonagall's office this morning. I do something until night, and then I receive my classes somewhere."  
  
Justin snorted. "This is so rediculous."  
  
"I don't know how long they're going to keep me in this kind of schedule, but I hope it isn't long. I'm tired of all the bad things that keep happening!"  
  
The American nodded. "I know. We'll get through this, okay?"  
  
Lilus drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, sighing. "Thanks, Jason."  
  
He smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "Now what kept you last night?"  
  
She turned her head and looked at him. His expression was highly curious, but when was he not highly curious? His eyes were the royal blue that they had always been, but behind them, there was a deep fear. The shadows that were cast over his face by the firelight made him look even more curious than he already was.  
  
"Met someone at the Astronomy Tower," she said.  
  
Jason's eyes got really big. "Whhhhhaaaaaatttt?!"  
  
"Not like that. Nothing happened."  
  
Most of the students used the Astronomy Tower to have sex or do other stuff similar to that. She knew that, and she saw Jason think about what could have happened before she corrected him.  
  
"What did happen then?" he said, crossing his arms.  
  
"I met with Snid, and we talked."  
  
"Snid, that Ravenclaw I've never seen before?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"What did you talk about with him?"  
  
"My Animagi. He thought that was really cool. Oh, you need to teach me how to fly."  
  
He laughed. "Flying's easy. You were just flying...well...down. If you find yourself in that situation, fold your wings as close to your body as you can, then turn over. The way you were trying to do it was totally wrong. It's like rolling over in the water with two barrels on either side of you, right?"  
  
"Right. So...show me how to fold my wings."  
  
She stood up and imagined her hands turning into wings. Fingers elongated. Webbing between her fingers. Jason watched her intently.  
  
"That's weird."  
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
"Your arms just transformed. When an Animagus transforms, it's usually their entire body, not just one or two parts," he said, standing up and coming over to her side.  
  
"Well, I guess that's a good thing now. I don't think all of me would fit in here," she said, looking around at their spacious, yet still-too-small-for-a-dragon Common Room.  
  
She stretched her wings for him, and he grabbed what would have been her pointer finger and pushed it in towards the others before stretching it out again. He inspected it carefully and then snapped his fingers.  
  
"Okay. Stand on the table and do this," he ordered.  
  
He drew his arms up to his chest and pushed his fists down. He looked like someone did when they were trying to make a puppy begging image or a rabbit. His arms were folded like a Praying Mantis. She climbed onto the table and folded her wings like he had his arms, finding it not very difficult at all.  
  
"That's how you fold your wings. And move them very slowly when you're like that, okay? Your wings are very big, and if you put any force behind moving them, you'll cause a gust and blow me over," he said, laughing.  
  
"So, I just flap my wings?"  
  
"Basically. When you first start out, it's really clumsey, and you might lose balance a few times. When you get the feel for how you should beat your wings, then it's really smooth. Understand?"  
  
"Yeah," she said, turning her arms back into her hands.  
  
"Oh my god, Lilus! Your hand!"  
  
Nervously, she glanced at her left hand, the hand that had been bandaged yesterday. From her wrist up, her hand was covered in black scales on the outside and around her fingers. Her palm was covered with plates, as were the folding joints of her fingers. Jason came forward and took her dragon hand into his. Her fingernails had become long, sharp, and black.   
  
"I guess we didn't brew the potion right," he said sadly. "I'm sorry..."  
  
She ran her fingers against the flow of her scales, finding that it pulled at her black skin underneath. "If this is the worst problem, It's not going to be too hard to live with. I don't think so anyway."  
  
"Well, at least you have an idea about flying. The more you do it, the better you'll get at it, but I think if you practice, you should just transform your arms. A large dragon flying around outside of Hogwarts looks a little too...yeah...strange.."  
  
"When can we go flying?"  
  
"I dunno. Maybe tomorrow night or something. I'll be in here when you get back from classes or whatever. We can go flying then if you aren't too tired," he said, plopping down on the couch.  
  
"Okay," she said. "Thanks for the advice, Talon. I have to go get ready if I'm to get to McGonagall's office before anyone sees me."  
  
He smiled and nodded. "Good luck. Make sure Frenchy doesn't get you. You want me to come with you?"  
  
"Nah, I'll be okay," she said, turning to go upstairs. "See you later, Jason."  
  
"See you later. And tell this Snid guy that I want to meet him, okay? You know, just to do the "if you're gonna date my best friend then you better meet the requirements" scan. Just in case he ever does want to date you. That way I can tell Justin and the boys if he's okay material or if he should be stalked."  
  
She laughed. "Yeah, sure."  
  
***********************  
  
"Professor McGonagall, I..kinda have a problem," she called to the empty room. "Professor McGonagall?"  
  
"She is absent at the moment, child. She had an urgent situation with the Ministry," Albus said, coming out of the shadows.  
  
"Oh, Mr. Dumbledore, Professor Dumbledore, um...my hand..."  
  
She held her hand up, flexing the black scales in front of Dumbledore's astonished eyes.  
  
"Child, what has happened?"  
  
Albus came forward and took her lizard hand in his, inspecting it carefully. He brushed his fingertips over the scales, and she drew her hand back.  
  
"Jason was trying to teach me how to fly, and when I transformed back again, my hand...didn't."  
  
"Yes, we had that problem yesterday, didn't we? Well, Lilus, sit down for a moment. Minerva is due back shortly," he said, taking a seat in a comfy looking chair by the fireplace.  
  
Lilus picked a wooden chair along the wall and sat in it, dropping her school bag on the floor next to it. She looked around McGonagall's office. It was decorated very neatly with rows of books lining the walls.  
  
"What do you search for, child? What do you want right now in this very instant of life?"  
  
She raised her head and looked at him. That was an odd question. Should she answer it truthfully or lie? He would probably know if it was a lie.  
  
"That depends, sir," she said, locking eyes with the old man.  
  
"Depends on what, Lilus?"  
  
"Normally, I would have wanted a different color on my eyes, but now, all I want is that Death Eater dead."  
  
Dumbledore seemed taken back but not at all surprised at her answer. "Aurors are searching for him even as we speak. He will be sent to Azkaban for the..."  
  
"I don't want him to go to Azkaban. I want him dead," she growled. "I don't want him alive."  
  
"I can understand that, but there are worse things than death at Azkaban."  
  
She just stared at him. He stared back at her, his withered, pale face questioning and caring.  
  
"Why...do I have red eyes?" she asked after a time.  
  
"That, my dear, is one of the mysteries of the wizarding world," he said casually.  
  
That went well. Some answer.  
  
"Please, don't take me away from my friends," she begged. "Please don't. I won't hurt anyone. I promise. Professor Dumbledore, you know my father. You know Remy..."  
  
Albus nodded his head slightly. "I know that you would not harm anyone, but the students are afraid of what they do not understand."  
  
Lilus sat in the office and waited for a long time, waiting for Professor McGonagall. The old man across from her said nothing to her, and she said nothing to him. They just stared at each other, trying to figure out what the other was hiding behind his or her eyes.  
  
"Albus?" finally said the voice of the headmistress.  
  
"Yes, Minerva, I am here. Ms. Potter is here as well," he said, not moving his eyes from Lilus.  
  
Lilus averted her gaze to Professor McGonagall who entered the room panting like she had just ran the entire way. The old woman turned to her, acknowledged her presence, and sat down behind her desk. She fumbled with the contents of her bag for a little while, then put it away, and folded her hands neatly in front of her.  
  
"Ms. Potter, you have been registered as an Animagus at the Ministry of Magic. During the day, you will study and do assignments from the previous night. During the night, you will take your classes. You shall stay in the Room of Requirement because we have had some complaints from the witches that you room with."  
  
"What about my friends?"  
  
"They shall visit you in your residence."  
  
"Can I visit them?" Lilus asked, focusing her demented stare at Professor McGonagall.  
  
"No, dear. We cannot risk you frightening your classmates..."  
  
Albus, for once, stood up for her. "Minerva, dear, perhaps if Ms. Potter uses an Invisibility Cloak?"  
  
Minerva looked at Albus with questioning eyes. "Does Ms. Potter possess one?"  
  
"Yes, and Ms. Potter uses it and knows how to avoid people while using it," Lilus piped up, grinning.  
  
"Ms. Potter, if you use that tongue of yours against me, you will not see your friends at all until the fear leaves," Minerva said.  
  
"Sorry, Professor. Never again."  
  
"As I was saying, if she can use it properly and not raise suspicion among the students, then yes, she will be allowed to visit her classmates," Minerva said, nodding her head softly.  
  
Lilus jumped up and squealed happily.  
  
"Ms. Potter! What in God's name happened to your hand!"  
  
Lilus stopped cheering and hid her hand beneathe her robes. "Uh...flying lesson?"  
  
"You transformed?!" Minerva screeched. "Where?!"  
  
Lilus trembled. God, that woman scared her.   
  
"Th...this morning. With Jason. He was teaching me how to fly. No one else was around. I didn't break anything. I swear! I can even show you what I did!"  
  
Lilus transformed one arm this time and folded it just like Jason had taught her. Minerva looked at Albus with eyes as big as dinner plates.  
  
"Only one part? Lilus?"  
  
Lilus nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, Jason said that we might not have brewed the potion right, but the worst thing that has happened is my hand," she said, transforming her wing back into an arm.  
  
"Well," Minerva said right before a long pause. "You can visit your friends, just avoid staying out after curfew other than your classes and do not get caught."  
  
"Yes! Absolutely! Totally understood, Professor McGonagall." She smiled and sat down in the chair again. "So what now?"  
  
Minerva stood up. "Well, your luggage shall be delivered to the Room of Requirement, and you shall study or find some way to entertain yourself. You shall eat breakfast in there. If you wish to go to the library, you may do so with use of your Invisibility Cloak."  
  
"Yes, maim," Lilus said.  
  
"You may go. And please try to keep out of sight."  
  
Boy, that woman could make her feel special. She said her goodbyes to Albus and Minerva and went on her way. Thank God everyone was in the Great Hall. The Room of Requirement. Well, at least she could make her room look like the one at home. Maybe that would make her sleep better at night. Maybe. If she surrounded herself with her parents. Maybe.  
  
As she opened the hidden door, she saw her trunk there. She closed her eyes. Home. Make it like home. Make it home. She opened her eyes, and the cold, dark, bare room had transformed. A fireplace was at the far corner. It was their livingroom. Pictures lined the wall. Picture of her past. Picture of her family. The soft, blue carpet. The red loveseat, the gold chair. Her bed was across from the fireplace along the wall, and there was her nightstand with her lamp on it, and the plastic gold Snitch. Her teddy bear was on her bed, the one that Snid gave to her. There was her dresser close to her bed, and torches lined the walls. Her trunk was at the foot of her bed, waiting to be unpacked.  
  
It wasn't home, but it was close to it.  
  
She walked over to her bed and dropped her bag on it, sitting down. She picked up her teddy bear and hugged it tightly, falling sideways on the bed. She drew her feet up and just lied there for a few minutes. Homework. She didn't have any homework that needed to be done. She was a responsible kid, no matter who said otherwise. As for what she said to Dumbledore about not hurting anyone, well, she only hurt people who hurt her or her friends.  
  
She would protect her friends and what was left of her family. When the Dark Lord was resurrected, she'd take him out before he even knew what happened.  
  
****************************  
  
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"  
  
'You must understand, child.'  
  
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!"  
  
The voice would not cease now. It spoke to Lilus during her waking hours and her sleeping hours. It was always awake, even when she was not. Two days had passed, but she could not force the door open. She didn't understand why the teachers would betray her. Why? Professor McGonagall had agreed to let her roam about. She had not even been taking her classes. Surely Remy would wonder, since he had been alerted of her class hours. Or had he? What was going on?  
  
Two days imprisonment had turned her into something new. Something was drilling out of her skull, and it was allowing this voice to become free. Something more like a dragon than herself. Something that wanted to destroy her. What was she becoming? What would she become if she was destroyed from the inside out?  
  
What was trying to take her over?  
  
Perhaps she was a threat to her friends and the others. She was driven by a blind fury, a beast inside her that couldn't see or feel pain. Sightless for one day in her rampage was too hard to deal with.  
  
Everything was red.  
  
All she could see was red. There were no outlines of objects. Just red.  
  
And the burning pain.  
  
She had only just been aware that she had injured herself, perhaps a few hours earlier.  
  
And it was not a simple pain. Had the beast not resided inside her, she would have bled to death, but the raw instinct that the beast had was incredible, but even it had been weakened in the rampage.  
  
And for the first time in twenty-four hours, objects were coming into focus.  
  
Lying on the cold stone floor, Lilus knew that rising was impossible at the moment. There was just not enough strength left inside of her.  
  
'Let me help you.'  
  
"Leave...me..."  
  
Her command was weak, but it came from the beast.  
  
And she passed once again into a familiar darkness.  
  
She did not expect help to come for her. It had abandoned her. Where were the teachers that she thought would protect her?  
  
Not close by.  
  
No doubt her friends knew something was wrong, but they did not know where she was, nor could they probably get through the locked door. She was trapped, and the best inside her did not like that. Not at all.   
  
'Let me help you.'  
  
"Leave me here to die."  
  
'I cannot let you die.'  
  
"I want to die."  
  
'Then why don't you?'  
  
"Because she won't let me."  
  
'Who?'  
  
"Blackwing."  
  
'The Dragon?'  
  
"LEAVE ME!"  
  
She hated the voice, and she wasn't sure who it belonged to. She had given up on listening to it, but then again, it had been the only intelligent contact that she had. It was beginning to get extremely cold, and Lilus managed to crawl over to her bed and yank the blankets down around her. They were cold, but they would warm up soon enough. She stood up and remained for a few minutes just to see if she could stand. Her legs were shakey but she could stand.  
  
She had to find Remus. She had to find her godfather.  
  
The blankets dropped to the floor, and Lilus stood silent with her legs trembling. She had to call the beast. The dark creature that lay dormant within her had to come out.  
  
"Free me."  
  
Silence. Standing was becoming harder and harder by the second.  
  
"Free us. Get us out of here!"  
  
Then, she fell to her knees. The pain disappeared and the strength returned. The blood returned. She lunched at the outside wall, ripping at it with her left hand. The right hand followed, turning into the black-scaled twin of the other. The stone gave way to her dragonclaws, leaving in small crumbs every time she hit the stone. Only time.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Midnight.  
  
Jason slid into his room and opened his nightstand and pulled out Lilus' Invisibility Cloak. He hoped that she wouldn't mind that he stole it. He would return it. After his little escapade tonight.The boys were sleeping, no doubt, but he didn't want to wake them, even though they would be glad to join him in his adventure. Dropping the cloak on his old bed, he slid his feet into his boots and laced them quickly, then as quietly as possible, he left the tower. Lilus had been missing for two days, and even Remus didn't know where she was. The other teachers said that he had asked either denied anything was wrong or didn't know. Well, it was his turn to do a little investigating. The hallways were empty. Mrs. Norris was doing her usual route, but all of her kittens had gone to sleep probably an hour earlier. He evaded her rather easily, but then he came across something else.  
  
Alex.  
  
Alex was leaning against the wall, and he had a devilish grin on his face. His hair was styled in the usual fashion, and he was dressed in his robes with an Invisibility cloak thrown over his arm.  
  
"Greetings, Mudblood," he sneered as Jason took off his cloak. "For a moment, I thought that you were that bloody girl."  
  
"Well, asshole, I'm not," Jason spat, cracking his knuckles.  
  
Frenchy scoffed. "What are you going to do? Beat me up like a Muggle?"  
  
Jason grinned. "Why, was that your plan?"  
  
"Actually..."  
  
"Alexander!"  
  
Jason saw Raphael rush out of the darkness and to Frenchy's side. Malfoy whispered something into his ear and Frenchy smacked him.   
  
"You fool! Leave!"  
  
"But, Alex! Professor Snape is coming!"  
  
Jason threw on his cloak and ran past the two boys. He heard Frenchy call him back, but he didn't care. Frenchy was Frenchy. Remus' office was just around the corner. Running full speed, Jason suddenly came in contact with something red. The force knocked them both down, and the Invisibility Cloak flew off.  
  
"...Jason?"  
  
The American opened his eyes and looked at the blood smeared body across the hall. He grabbed the cloak and stared.  
  
"Oh my fucking god... Lilus, what happened?"  
  
Her shiny black hair was caked with dried blood, and her beautiful skin was almost entirely red. There were gashes over her stomach and arms, and a really deep one on her stomach. Blood was still flowing from the wounds, and the first thing that Jason thought was that he was looking at a ghost. Her clothes were ripped in many different places, and some places were more exposed than others, especially across her chest. Her arms were crossed tightly over her body, and she was shaking. Jason practically tore his shirt off and handed it to her, closing his eyes as she put it on.  
  
"What the hell happened to you?"  
  
She shivered and looked at him fearfully. "...I...leave now! Run away so I don't hurt you."  
  
"You won't hurt me."  
  
Jason scooped her off the floor and kicked the door open to Remy's office. It came open very easily.Once inside, he put her in a chair and closed the door. Lilus suddenly sat straight up with eyes as wide as dinner plates.  
  
"The door just locked," she whispered.  
  
"What's wrong?" Jason asked. "Remy will unlock it."  
  
"Oh my god. I am such an id..idiot. Jason we have to get out of here. I can't rip the door apart. I'm not strong enough..."  
  
Jason's eyes got really wide. "Full moon."  
  
"Jason, be quiet."  
  
"Lilus, the cage room is open."  
  
"Jason!" she squeaked.  
  
Lilus tried to get up, but she collapsed on the floor in front of the chair. Jason dove down next to her and covered them with the cloak.  
  
"Lilus, he's standing at the door..." 


	16. Last Day

Chapter 16  
  
Remus stood at the door in the midst of his human/wolf transformation. The lanky creature wore the shredded remains of clothing and was larger than Jason had expected him to be. Remus bared his rows of swords at the two teenagers, even though he couldn't see them. Jason covered Lilus with as much of his body as he could, but she reeked of blood, and that did not go unknown. The werewolf crouched and smelled the air, before his eyes shot directly at them. He pounced, landing on Jason's back, but the American threw him off, slamming him against the desk. Jason stood up, and Lilus tried to slide into a corner.  
  
"Remy!! Don't! It's Lilus! It's me! Don't hurt us!" Lilus cried, trying her hardest to stand.  
  
Jason drew his fists back and smashed one of them into the werewolf's jaw. The werewolf was unfazed, and he pounced on Jason. Jason slammed into the side of the chair, knocking half of it into the fireplace. The werewolf dashed over to Lilus and grabbed her arm. Jason jumped onto Remy's back, and the werewolf released its young prey.   
  
"Jason! Watch his mouth!"  
  
Too Late...  
  
"AH! OH GOD!"  
  
She knew what had happened when Remy opened his great mouth with his eyes hungrily staring at Jason's arm.  
  
The creature caught Talon's right arm in his mouth, and his jaws were clamped down tightly. Jason screamed loudly, and Remy flipped him over his shoulder, leaving deep gashes in his arms. Jason was on his feet in a second, however, ready to fight again. The American threw a punch at the werewolf's head, sending his head cracking to the side, and he drew back for another. But, Remus grabbed his second punch and cracked his wrist backwards. He grabbed the young boy's shoulder, digging his claws into his flesh, and threw him over the desk and into a bookshelf. The shelves cracked, and books fell onto the floor, along with Jason. Lilus inched up the wall as she faced her blood thirsty godfather.  
  
"Jason...answer me," she whispered. "Say something."  
  
There was a moan from the other side of the desk. "He...bit...bit me."  
  
"Oh...God. Remy, Remy, it's me. Remy, it's me! It's...Lil..."  
  
Remus opened his great maw and jumped against her. The wild thirst in his eyes seemed very familiar. The blood. The desire. Oh, the desire. Suddenly, the fear of the two hundred pounds of muscle and teeth before her vanished. Her dragon hands shot out and clamped down onto Remus' snout. The were-creature seemed surprised. His eyes widened, and he stepped backwards, but she held on. With eyes bloody red, she stared straight into the brown pits of raw instinct. Something inside them recognized the dead feeling in her eyes, and it clicked for just a second. The werewolf fell out of his trance. Remy began to tear at her back, raking his claws across her skin. There was no pain, however, just the feeling that he was touching her. Remy continued to claw at her, while his tongue was trying to escape his closed mouth to get at her blood.  
  
"Remus Lupin, we are the same creature. Both born for blood," she whispered so softly that she could hardly hear. "Tear at me all you want, beast. I cannot feel. I cannot feel what you do."  
  
Remus kept on ripping. The floor was covered with blood, and Jason was still lying on the other side of the desk. Lilus could probably rival a tiger with her stripes, but her only rival now could not be seen. Remus was not her rival. He was just lost in the instinct that God gave him. Jason was not her rival; he was her ally. She was her rival. The creature that lived deep inside her was her rival. Was is Voldemort? Maybe. She wasn't sure anymore. She wasn't sure about anything.  
  
Nor was she sure how much time had passed before she was released again. All she knew was that she was ripped one final time from his claws, and she crashed against a mound of old boxes still heavy with books that Remy hadn't unpacked. Once again, there was no pain, but she could feel the weakness. She felt faint, and that's exactly what she did, but it was more because of the blood loss than anything else.  
  
Jason was up again, and he drop kicked the werewolf straight in the head, sending him flying into the spot where he once lay. The werewolf didn't move. Jason staggered over to where Lilus lay on the floor, coated with red.  
  
"Lilus! Lilus, wake up!"  
  
She wasn't dead, but she wouldn't wake up. Most of her blood was on the floor, but she was not worried about bleeding to death.  
  
"Someone help! Help! Mrs. Norris! Filch! Someone! Somebody!!" Jason yelled at the top of his lungs, but his cries echoed through nowhere and no one answered them.  
  
No help came. Jason was stuck with his dying friend and his own flesh wound. Thirty minutes passed, and she awoke. Now, ten till four, they were talking and waiting for Remus to wake. Jason tore a long strip from Lilus' shirt and wrapped it tightly around his wound. His bleeding stopped, but no matter how hard he tried to bandage her up, she wouldn't stop bleeding. It scared him to death that this might be the last time that he would speak with his friend. Of all the times to forget his wand. He was going to have BRING WAND tattooed on his forehead. Now, it might have costed a life.   
  
"Why did...they...ugh...lock you in?" he whispered, leaning against the wall with her head resting against his leg.  
  
Sure, he was scared, but he didn't want her to think that it wouldn't be okay. If you acted the part, people wouldn't know the difference.  
  
"I...began...hurt myself. They...must of known...that I would try," she whispered quietly, her eyes fluttering up and down as she struggled with sleep.  
  
"So that's where those cuts came from, but they shouldn't leave you like that."  
  
"They are afraid of me."  
  
Jason gently slid his fingers through her hair, trying to rid a few locks of blood. Her skin felt very cold. He knew that they were afraid of her. There were very few people who weren't. Even Casey was a little jittery. But Jason knew that Lilus was Lilus, no matter what happened. She would always be his friend.   
  
"Lilus, don't die," he said, choking on his last word.  
  
"I won't. I'm sorry...about the bite."  
  
No longer human. Jason would have to learn from Remy what to do during the full moon. Her friend's life would be so much different from now on.  
  
"I'm glad I found you."  
  
God only knows what would have happened if he hadn't. He didn't want to think about it.  
  
"..."  
  
There was silence. Jason peered down at his friend. Her eyes were closed, but the tattered remains of his shirt were rising and falling gently with her chest. Jason smiled and kissed the end of his finger. Then he silently pressed it to her lips.  
  
"Night, Blackwing. I'll be here when you wake up," he whispered, gathering her broken body in his arms and holding her close.  
  
******************************  
  
"Remus, I am truly sorry for what we did, but you have to understand that it was necessary. Look what she did to herself," Professor McGonagall was desperately trying to explain to her friend why she left his godchild in isolation.   
  
Remus rubbed his neck. "Minerva...I..."  
  
The truth be told, he did not remember what she had done to herself. All he knew was that she was almost dead when they brought her into the hospital wing, and Jason was sent to St. Mungo's for elementary treatment for his werewolf bite. Jason's parents had not been notified. They seemed to have disappeared. But he trusted Minerva, but that trust had dwindled.  
  
"I have to take care of Mr. Alus and Lilus. What has happened has happened. Right now, we need to look toward the future. Take care of my goddaughter. Now more than ever."  
  
Minerva could just look at his deep eyes and nod. "Of course. I do apologize for what has happened."  
  
"Keep the research going. I know what happened. Please hurry. Let me become well again."  
  
"Yes, Remus."  
  
She didn't want to tell him that his goddaughter had clawed a hole three feet wide into a stone wall that was at least one foot thick. Of course the room had repaired itself, but the sheer fact that a teenaged girl could do that with no weapons or magic was...horrifying.  
  
******************************  
  
The pain came at once when she awoke, and she found that she was too weak to cry out in agony. Lilus awoke in the very familiar room, the hospital wing. No one else was in there. Once again, she was alone. She hadn't seen her boys in forever. She missed Justin. She missed Nick and Shawn. She missed Baker and Diego and Charlie. She missed her father and mother. All she could do was lie in bed and cry what little blood that she had left.  
  
She wanted to die. She had caused Jason to become bitten by her godfather. She had no clue how much damage Remy had, and she had come very close to bleeding to death. Her body was covered with scars-to-be, and she didn't know if any of them would ever face. Both of her hands and forearms were still dragonized, and she knew they probably wouldn't turn back without a fight. The pain stung like a burn, sensitive to the touch, yet the searing pain was everywhere. Her head hurt, and she was very hungry. There was no place on her body that didn't hurt, but she wasn't red anymore, and she was wearing a hospital nightgown.  
  
The torches were lit, and it appeared to be night outside. She wanted to go to sleep, but there was so much to do, and she couldn't even stirr. The pain was too much, and she barely had enough energy to life a finger. So, she did the only other thing that she could do: sleep.  
  
She had the Animagus dream, but this time, they weren't over the ocean. They were over Hogwarts and going into the Dark Forest. The sky was jet black and littered with beautiful stars and a half moon. The forest was colored with a pine green, and the air was crisp and cool.  
  
"We're in trouble, you know," the dragon said in a deep hiss that Lilus couldn't determine as male or female.  
  
"We aren't in trouble. Everyone else is," Lilus replied.  
  
She accompanied the dragon as it landed in a large clearing that was surrounded by boulders. The dragon curled its body around the clearing, and Lilus sat in the middle of it.  
  
"Yes, everyone else is in trouble, but we are too," the dragon said, settling its head down next to her. "We are in a lot of trouble."  
  
"What trouble?"  
  
"I don't know, but too much trouble. Can't you also sense it?"  
  
Then she woke up to someone carrying her down the corridor. She whimpered miserably, and she was immediately shushed.  
  
"Who...are you...?" she whispered.  
  
"Shh!"  
  
She felt them turn a corner, and she heard a door shut. She then felt herself being placed on a bed, and the click of a lock.   
  
"You know, you're a very vulnerable person."  
  
"And very hard to get to," said another person.  
  
"Snid...?"  
  
"Yeah, and Raphael."  
  
"Drink this," Raphael said, pushing a vial up to her mouth.  
  
She gulped down the salty contents, coughed, and opened her eyes. The two boys stood beside each other. Raphael held the vial in his head, and his hair was very messy. He still looked cute. Lilus felt a chill spread throughout her body, and she felt some of the pain disappear. Raphael's sad gray eyes suddenly bacame paniced.  
  
"I have to go. You tell her what she needs to know. I'll talk to you some other time," Malfoy said, unlocking the door and leaving.  
  
Lilus couldn't be sure, but she thought she heard a loud pop just outside the hall. Snid walked over to her and sat down next to her.  
  
"He couldn't stay for long. I think Alex is onto him," Snid said, casting his glance towards the door.  
  
"Snid, why? Why bring me here?" she whimpered.  
  
She began to tremble. Something told her that this wasn't good news, but then again, common sense knew that. Snid gently slid his hands against hers.  
  
"I have to teach you the spell that you MUST remember. That and Avada Kedavra, but you already know that one. Lilus, you are to be kidnapped in two days...by..."  
  
"By...?"  
  
"Death Eaters. The Dark Lord's minions are coming for you."  
  
Snid leaned forward and hugged her softly. She weakly pushed him away. They were coming for her? But...was is possible for a Death Eater to enter Hogwarts undetected?  
  
"We have to tell Dumbledore," she whispered.  
  
"No, we can't."  
  
"Why the hell not?!"  
  
"Because we want Voldemort to think that he's in control. Plus, if we tell Dumbledore, Raphael will probably die."  
  
"Why do we want Voldemort to be in control?"  
  
"He's inside of you, Lilus. He's alive, and we want him to get out of you. If he takes you, Raphael said that it is most likely that he will project himself out of you for a while, then return to Hogwarts to spy on your friends. He is an enemy of everyone. The more he knows about who he's fighting, the more powerful he will become. That's when we will strike. Once banished, we can kill him."  
  
"I don't know...I don't want to go with any Death Eaters."  
  
Snid nodded. "I know, but you have to. Raphael will try as hard as he can to make sure that you are okay. Voldemort won't kill you. You are his host. He won't kill you, but no one knows what he will do."  
  
"Snid, you're starting to scare me. I'm not going with any Death Eaters."  
  
He was silent and nodded a second time. "I know. But they're coming." He put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "This is the spell. It's called the Amarc Nutinutus. It's a banishment spell. Memorize it, then burn the paper. We can't leave any trace or they'll find out."  
  
She took the paper but she stared at him. "You're hiding something," she said, her eyes narrowing.  
  
Snid looked at her, surprised. "Yes, I'm hiding a lot from you. But those facts are unimportant."  
  
"It's got something to do with me."  
  
"I...umm. Lilus, give me a break. I told you what you need to know."  
  
She tried to stand. "I'm not going with any Death Eaters. I'll kill myself first."  
  
She fell back into his lap. She rolled off of him and tried to stand again.  
  
"Even that potion didn't heal you all the way. I'll take you back."  
  
"I'm not going with a Death Eater!"  
  
He didn't respond. He picked her up and left the dark room that they were in, and no words were exchanged between them, not even final farewells. Snid left without a glance behind him, and Lilus turned over to avert her eyes just in case he did. The string was broken.  
  
*****************************************  
  
One day.  
  
They were coming.  
  
One day to live. Voldemort wouldn't kill her, but the lair of the Death Eaters wasn't going to be a vacation spot.  
  
Lilus slept in the hospital wing, and she wouldn't go into a room without a window alone. It had been a few days since she had attacked herself, and since then, nothing else was attacked. She spent her days meditating and reading in the hospital wing. Books were brought in by the dozens by the house elves, and they kept her occupied. It was during supper, and Lilus was properly fed, which was expected. Then, Remy came in.  
  
"Lilus?"  
  
Lilus stopped eating and looked up at the door. Remus walked over to her bed and sat down on the end of it. Her plate forgotten, Lilus crawled over to her godfather and hugged him tightly.  
  
"I am so sorry...," Remus said, sobbing.  
  
"It was an accident. And I should have known better."  
  
Remus took her slender black wrist in his hand and looked at the pale scars on her arm. "I'm so sorry."  
  
He was crying. Lilus hugged him again, patting him softly on his back.  
  
"Take care of them, okay? Especially Jason. He'll need your help a lot now. Take care of them for me."  
  
She knew Remus had no clue what she was talking about. She really didn't want to go, and she wasn't going without at least killing a few, but she wanted Raphael to live. She knew that he would be killed if they were found out. Her rival now her friend. When she saw him today, he didn't even hint that he ever had any problem with her, even if she saw him for only a few minutes. As for the Death Eaters, she'd made it a personal goal to take out at least three. She wouldn't go without a fight, but they still had to get her out of Hogwarts.  
  
"Remy, I love you. It's okay. I didn't feel it."  
  
Which wasn't a lie. She didn't feel it when he first started to claw at her.   
  
"I've failed Harry and Hermione. Oh, Lilus, I'm so sorry..."  
  
"Shh. You haven't failed anyone. You're a good person, and everyone understands that. It was an accident."  
  
"Jason's parents aren't going to take it well..."  
  
"I know, but I'm sure they'll get used to it."  
  
"What have I done?!"  
  
She felt him sob into her shoulder. "Remus, just help him. What's happened has happened. There's nothing that we can do to change it."  
  
Remus stopped sobbing and rubbed his puffy eyes. There was a faint bruise on his cheekbone where Jason had managed a hit in.  
  
"I love you, Moony. Everything's alright," she whispered.  
  
Remus all of a sudden sat back. "Parceltongue?"  
  
Lilus felt her face contort with confusion. "What?"  
  
"Lilus, what you just said...that was Parceltongue. What did you say?"  
  
"Just that I loved you and that everything would be okay."  
  
Remus nodded, but the look of confusion hadn't left his face. "Well, I love you too, kid. Listen, I have to go. I need to research some things in the library. You...get better, alright?"  
  
He held her cheek in his hand for a second, then he rose and began towards the door.There was still a choked sound to his voice as he left the room. His footsteps echoed faintly down the hall, but she could hear them. She remained still for a few minutes, then stood up and staggered over to the window. She crawled into the window frame and perched on the sill, staring down into the courtyard.  
  
"Mreow?"  
  
Lilus turned her head sharply to see a ginger blob slink into the room. Lilus felt her face light up with uncontrollable joy.  
  
"Crookshanks!"  
  
"Mrreeeooow!!"  
  
The cat walked a little faster, and his belly of fat swished from side to side with each step he took. With great difficulty, he jumped into Lilus's open arms, and she hugged the warm ball of fat to her tightly.  
  
"Mrrwww. *cough*"  
  
"Oh, sorry."  
  
The cat stared her straight into the eyes, and it didn't flinch at all. He was like Jason. Jason could stare her down and not think twice about it. She stroked him softly, scratching him behind his soft ears and under his chin.  
  
"You aren't afraid of me, are you? You aren't afraid of these hands that hold you, or these eyes that stare."  
  
Crookshanks began to purr, and his soft body was a comfort to her.  
  
"You're not scared. No matter what I look like, you'll always know it's me."  
  
And for some weird reason, she could feel the cat agree with her. That thing had always been freaky.  
  
"They're coming for me tomorrow, Crookshanks. What should I do? Should I risk ...his... life? Or...should I risk mine?"  
  
No matter how hard she tried, Crookshanks did not seem to answer her question. He didn't want to, but she knew the answer. It was much like a storybook, what was happening to her now. She would have to save him, save her enemy. There was a larger power that needed to be taken care of. She would need help. There was no way that she could beat herself at the same game. How could she beat herself?  
  
*********************************************  
  
She was afraid.  
  
At first, she had not been. At first, it had been just a silly game to her, but could she take out a murdering wizard that would probably not hesitate to hurt her? Could she escape them? Raphael would keep an eye out for her, but she was scared. Voldemort had killed her parents, and her grandparents, and hundreds of people that she had never heard of. Why would he spare a miserable little girl? And most of all, why would he spare someone that looked as horrifying as she did. If he was to spare any girl, let her be pretty like Kimmy or Casey but why her?  
  
The power.  
  
Ah yes, her Animagus. The dragon was not common as an Animagus form, and there had not been very many in the span of time, but those that had been were written in history books as legends. Was she a living legend of her time? How would Voldemort tap into the inner beast that she had when even she could not? What would it feel like to command a dragon, or the next best thing, a dragon Animagus. Why was all this coincidence? Why did she turn out to be one of the legendaries? Why did Voldemort choose her? Why was she born with his eyes?  
  
He wasn't after her spells. He couldn't be. He had dozens of strong wizards at his disposal. What's so cool about her? Was it pride that drove him to make his decision? Was it just because she was Harry's daughter that he wanted to live in her? Probably, she knew that all men had their pride. Crookshanks slept at the foot of her bed, curled up in a great blob of vibrating fur beside her left foot. For a long time, she just stared at him, wondering what he dreamed about. Finally, she felt her eyelids grow heavy, and sleep dawned upon her.  
  
And she was terrified.  
  
When she woke up, she wanted to believe that she was dead. When she opened her eyes and looked at the foot of her bed, Crookshanks was gone, probably lost to the call of breakfast. Tonight. They were coming. A little more than twelve hours, and they would be coming. She knew how long she had, and she wasn't going to spend it stuck up in the hospital wing. She wasn't going to spend it here. Not cooped up in this room that reeked of healing and injury. She going to spend it in freedom. She was going to play outside. She was...  
  
She was...  
  
She was going to learn how to fly. 


	17. Voldemort's Child

Chapter 17  
  
What had Jason told her? To flap her wings. He said that all she had to do was flap her wings. It sounded easy, but knowing Jason, it was harder than hell. She crawled onto the window sill again and held her arms in front of her. It was chilly out that night, but it felt really good. Lilus watched in total facination as her fingers began to stretch. They looked very odd at that length, but then the webbing came between them, and they looked more familiar. The claws on the end of her fingers grew a few inches longer and thicker, and she felt even the slight breeze nearly blow her over. She turned and looked at the neat little room behind her.  
  
That was the world that didn't want her.  
  
She looked out across the lake, seeing the mountains stretch tall towards the heavens. That's what she wanted to do. As she slid onto the steep shingles of the roof a few feet under her window, she realized that she wanted to touch the sky. Many other times before, she had not been capable of it, but now, she knew she could. Lilus climbed out farther onto the roof and stretched her sore arms as far as they would go. She closed her eyes and felt the breeze cheering her on. It blew her hair around her shoulders, and it soothed the uncomfortable heat of the castle.  
  
Almost at once, she heard shrieks and gasps from whoever was watching below. Their theory that she had been demon spawn was probably verified when they saw her like this. Of course, everyone knew who she was. She didn't open her eyes to look down upon them. She knew that their faces were staring up at her with fear. All she had to do now was jump...  
  
Into the world that would accept her.  
  
If that meant Death Eaters, she'd take on the Death Eaters.  
  
From then on, she would soon figure out that she wasn't meant to be like the rest of the world. She would be meant to follow a different set of rules than everyone else, and break different laws than anyone else. But now, it was not time for her to understand. Not now.  
  
Blackwing took a step back against the stone wall and stared over the lake, watching the sun's reflection bounce back in the water. Her heart was pounding in her ears, and the freezing cold of the stone bit into her back, through her nightgown. Was she brave enough to jump off of a tower? What if she couldn't fly and fell to her doom?   
  
A part of her wanted to rush back into the world that was most familiar. She didn't want to leave this place behind for something completely new.  
  
But then, she wanted to know what was new. There was something out there, and it had already interfered with her life. Was this her destiny? Or was her destiny back in Hogwarts, back in civilization? Lilus wasn't sure, but she wanted to fly.  
  
She wanted to leave.  
  
Just for a few minutes, even.  
  
Her heart was pounding in her ears, and she began to tremble slightly from the now chilling breeze that blew past her. What would her dad do? Jump, no doubt. What would her mother do? Probably die of a heart attack.  
  
She braced herself against the wall and stared at the drop that she would have to fall if she failed. Her breath quickened and the first bead of sweat rolled down her face. She took a hard step forward. There was a loud yell from below, and a huge gasp among the crowd that watched from below. Lilus could hear teachers rushing through the hospital wing, trying desperately to reach her.   
  
Now or never.  
  
And she jumped.  
  
Almost at once, she knew that she wasn't going to fall. She could feel herself being caught with invisible hands as she opened her wings and thrust them under her. She watched the people below her cry out and scatter, and she turned and sat the professors' faces staring out in shock at her. Madame Pomfrey looked very pale, and Professor Snape looked very scared, but it was not the first time that she had seen that look in his eyes. It felt like she was underwater, the feeling that she had when she flapped her great wings. She felt happy; she felt alive.   
  
"Freedom," she sighed.  
  
She was fast; she felt fast. She flew over the water so easily. It seemed so easy. She turned her body slightly and veered to the side, turning back towards the castle where nearly every student was staring at her. She watched them cower away as she came closer, but then, she realized that her body felt different. She looked at her shadow on the ground.  
  
She didn't look human anymore. She had a tail, and two legs, which was the only human thing about her. The nightgown was gone, and her face had lengthened into the beak-like snout of her animagus form. Was she transforming? Why was she transforming?  
  
Without warning, Lilus' flight suddenly stopped short as she collided with a tree. The tree snapped in half in a loud crashing sound followed by the rustling of undergrowth as it hit the ground with her mingled in its branches. Surprisingly, it was more of an adrenaline rush than an injury. By that time, Lilus' body had grown to enormous size, and her legs were gone. She tried to use her hands, but her palms were gone, and she fell.  
  
Like a snake.  
  
Slithering didn't seem very hard, and it wasn't. It was a lot like hoola-hooping or swaying from side to side. It felt kind of weird. Lilus was so used to using her legs. She went into the forest, for once, not fearing anything or anyone that was in it.   
  
She saw everything in a new light that time.  
  
The ground was soft, a carpet of moss and grass. Slithering became boring, and she began to walk again, the pale nightgown becoming loose on her shoulders. The ground felt good against her feet, and in the forest, the air was warm, warmer than outside of it anyway. The trees rose elegantly from the earth, stretching high above her. The bark was rough and rugged, but it was welcoming.  
  
"This is my world," she whispered.  
  
"This is my new life."  
  
She marched on, the largest grin on her face that she had ever seen. This was the place for her. This foest was a better home than Hogwarts. Nothing here was afraid of her. Nothing here wanted her dead. Nothing here cared that she was amongst them.   
  
And then she stopped...  
  
That clearing. She had been here before. She climbed over the boulder, digging her claws in it. She crouched on top of it and sat on the boulder, staring at the empty space in the middle.  
  
"Here! I'm here!"  
  
She laughed, jumping up and dancing around on the ring of boulders. This was her sanctuary. The place in her dream. The forest surrounding it was a smooth green, and it seemed like a magical place. It was a magical place. The sky above her was orange. How long had she been out? It didn't seem no more than a few hours. It should only be three right now, why was it afternoon? She didn't care. All troubles had been forgotten.  
  
"Don't move," the figure behind her sneered.  
  
Lilus turned around and slipped, falling on her back. A centaur. He was an older one, tall and very strong. The bow aimed at her wasn't going to miss. When he saw her face, the centaur dropped his bowl slightly.  
  
"...What are you?"  
  
"Witch," she answered. "Don't shoot. Please. I ..."  
  
"You don't look like a witch."  
  
Lilus sat up and nodded. "Everyone at Hogwarts is afraid of me because I look like this. Don't tell me I scare you too!" she whined.  
  
The centaur dropped his bow and laughed. "Young creature, you do not frighten me."  
  
She curled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "The professors are scared of me," she whimpered. "Everyone is."  
  
The centaur jumped down from the boulder and sat on the clearing across from her, his bow close by. "Who...are you?"  
  
"My name is Lilus Potter. I'm...an Animagus. Dragon...and it's taking over me. I had to get out. I'm not...like the others anymore. I'm not even human..."  
  
The centaur leaned against the rock, and for a while, everything was quiet. The centaur had a beard, long and black. His body was jet black, and so was his eyes. She whimpered and hid her face from him.  
  
"I've heard of Animagus, but never a dragon, milady."  
  
Lilus peered at him. "You want me to show you?"  
  
The centaur shook his head quickly. "I'd rather you not."  
  
"Oh, okay."  
  
Another silence.  
  
"Why do you centaurs hate us?"  
  
He looked up and stared at her. "They treat us inferior, and we became sick of it."  
  
Lilus laughed. "Why? There's nothing inferior about you."  
  
The centaur kept his stare.  
  
"Personally, I think you would make a really good picture. Like a painting or a sketch or something. That's what we need to do. We need to paint one of you and hang it in the castle. That would complete everything."  
  
He smiled. "You are not so bad, human."  
  
She shook her said sadly. "I'm not human anymore. Please, don't call me that."  
  
"If I may, why did you come out here?"  
  
She sighed and stared at the sky, looking at the dimming orange. Her mind left her for a moment.  
  
"I've been sentenced to death by the mortal world," she whispered.  
  
The centaur seemed interested. "Why?"  
  
"They can't handle something that looks like me. They're all afraid. Everyone's afraid of me, even before I became an Animagus. Everyone was afraid."  
  
Lilus stood up and stretched.  
  
"What's your name?"  
  
"Digalon."  
  
"It's nice talking to you, Digalon. Thanks for not shooting me."  
  
He laughed. "I don't think anyone could. You do look...different, but you are still human," he said, "but a good human."  
  
She smiled and sat down a few feet away from him. "Firenze has taught us a lot about your foresight, you know, the way your kind does it. It's really good, and he's a really good teacher."  
  
Digalon didn't answer.  
  
"We've learned a lot with him than we could have learned with a witch or wizard. Maybe that's what all magical folk need. If some more centaurs came into the castle to teach, maybe we could learn how to respect the world around us as well as knowledge."  
  
"Our place is in the forest."  
  
She sighed and nodded. "My place will forever be here. Even if I come back, the castle is not for me. I am no longer a part of that society. I am no longer human. Maybe a witch, but not a human."  
  
"Do you not have friends?"  
  
She nodded. "An enemy is now my friend. Only...one of my friends seems to remain, and he's a werewolf now."  
  
"Ah, I have heard about the werewolf of Hogwarts."  
  
"He's my godfather."  
  
"Hard to live with?"  
  
Something in her lungs tightened. "Not yet."  
  
Would she ever be able to live with Remy? Would she ever live again after that night?  
  
"I have to go..."  
  
"Why?" Digalon asked.  
  
"It's time for me to face myself. If I survive it, I'll come back and see you, okay? And don't worry about your friends, they won't hurt me, and I won't hurt them. Farewell, Digalon."  
  
"Farewell, Lilus Potter."  
  
She left the clearing, and Digalon did not follow her. The sky was dark, and the stars glittered in the shadow of a sky. It was beginning to get cold, and the Forbidden Forest was beginning to get frightening. She didn't cry, though. Anymore crying and she'd die.  
  
"Come and get me!"  
  
She kept walking until her feet became numb, and her legs refused to go farther. She fell and stared at the empty darkness around her.  
  
"Come and get me!"  
  
"Come and take me away!"  
  
This was her destiny.  
  
"Time to embrace it."  
  
*****************************************************  
  
"WHERE THE FUCK IS SHE?!" Jason was in the hospital wing, condemned there until the rest of his potions kicked in.  
  
He tore the blankets off of him and stormed up to Headmistress McGonagall.  
  
"WHAT ELSE DID YOU BASTARDS DO TO HER?!"  
  
Remus pulled him back in bed. "Lilus left by her own free will. We're still looking for her, but it's been eleven hours."  
  
Jason glared at McGonagall. "IT'S HER FAULT! IT'S ALL HER FAULT! SHE LOCKED HER UP! SHE'S GOING TO GET LILUS KILLED!"  
  
McGonagall could only look at the floor. "It was for the school's safety."  
  
"SAFETY MY ASS! THE ONLY SAFETY THAT WAS INVOLVED WAS HERS!"  
  
Jason sat back on his bed.  
  
"I want her found just as much as you do, Jason."  
  
"Dammit...something isn't right. She's in danger. I...foretold this. I foretold Remy's attack." The room had become silent. "Find her. FIND HER, YOU DAMNED WOMAN! FIND HER! FIND HER!"  
  
"Minerva, I think it best that you leave for now," Remus said.  
  
She nodded and left. Jason grabbed Remus's collar and jerked him close. "She's being taken by Death Eaters, Remus."  
  
Jason's eyes got really big.  
  
"Voldemort never died...  
  
He's....  
  
still....  
  
alive...."  
  
*********************************************************  
  
It was cold. She had long curled up next to the tree, watching her breath crystalize in front of her. An hour, and they still were not there. Were they coming? Was Raphael wrong about them? Did they just lose interest?  
  
No, Voldemort was alive and inside her. They were coming for their master.  
  
If she ever got out of this, she'd apologize to Snid for being so uncooperatable. She'd make peace once and for all with Raphael, and she'd make the bonds right again with her friends. She'd make it right. She'd be better at school. She'd graduate with perfect scores. She'd be the best.  
  
She'd live.  
  
She'd survive this.  
  
She'd be the best.  
  
She would change history.  
  
She would destroy Voldemort.  
  
"I'll destroy you, Voldemort. I know you're in there, and I will kill you."  
  
She didn't expect an answer.  
  
"Sweet child, how do you expect to do that? I am a part of you, just like I was a part of your father. I cannot be destroyed."  
  
Lilus felt a chill run down her already cold spine. Her eyes were wide, and her teeth were clenched.  
  
"I will find a way!"  
  
He laughed. "Why would you kill your own father?"  
  
"You are not my father."  
  
"That's why you don't have my eyes, yes, dear?"  
  
Lilus froze. "You cannot be my father."  
  
"I am just as much of your father as that brat was. I was there when he and that wretched Mudblood were in America for the first time. I was there. Harry may not have known it, but when he killed me, our souls combined. Dear daughter, do not resist me."  
  
"I am not your daughter. This is impossible."  
  
There was a laugh. "How else do you explain your eyes? Harry knew, but he didn't think they came directly from me. He thought they were just another absorbed power of mine. He was wrong. When that wench made love to him, she made love to me as well. You are my daughter completely now. That brat has no more control."  
  
"If I am your daughter, then why are you going to kill me?"  
  
"What? Kill you? No, dear. You are my darling daughter. Why would I kill you?"  
  
"You want me for power then."  
  
"Maybe, but I will never kill you."  
  
"I'll kill you, Voldemort. I'll kill that damn Death Eater, as well."  
  
"Would you like to know who that was?"  
  
"I'll find him no matter who he is!"  
  
"Then search."  
  
"You can hold me to my world, Daddy Dearest. You will die for what you have done to me."  
  
"Done to you? I've released you. I released that beast within. I gave you the ability to defend yourself. I taught you how to stand up and fight."  
  
"YOU HAVE RUINED MY LIFE!"  
  
"Your life hasn't begun yet, love."  
  
"Why me? Why do you want to hurt me? You've destroyed nearly everything I've ever known."  
  
"But what about your dear godfather, that blasted dog? You felt no pain. You never felt pain. I did that. You think you had enough power to block out the pain, but you don't. Not yet. I can show you how to harness that power, darling. You can be next to me when the world of Muggles and Mudbloods is destroyed, and the Reign of the Snake begins."  
  
"My mom was a Mudblood, you bastard. From what I know, you're only a half blood. At least both of my parents were magic."  
  
"You haven't become the most powerful wizard in the world, have you?"  
  
"I will one day."  
  
"But that day is not now, Lilus. You are my daughter. You will be mine. Face it!"  
  
"THAT IS NOT MY LIFE!"  
  
"Then what is?"  
  
She didn't talk to the voice anymore, and he didn't talk to her. Voldemort, her father? It made sense, what he said, but it was hard to believe. It made too much sense to be a lie. Voldemort was Harry when she was conceived. Voldemort was her father too. Her eyes, they were his eyes. The entire time, Voldemort had been her father. It didn't matter. He was not her family. She wanted him dead.  
  
"COME AND TAKE ME! DEATH EATERS, I SUMMON THEE! COME AND TAKE ME AWAY FROM THIS PLACE!"  
  
She screamed, her voice echoing through the tall trees of the forest, shooting into the night sky with demonic force. That did not come from her mouth. Voldemort was calling his men.  
  
"NO! SHUT THE HELL UP!"  
  
It was too late. Sounds came from all around her, and she stood up against the tree she was leaning on. There were no words spoken, but suddenly, the fear came back. The figures came into the moonlight like Dementors. She stared, her eyes casting a dim glow over each of them. These were Death Eaters. These were the people that murdered her family. She had to kill them.  
  
"I will not be taken without a fight," she spat.  
  
She opened her fingers, transforming into wings, and brought them down hard on the men in front of her, sending some of them flying backwards. She jumped close to one, kicking him squarely in the head before being thrown off by his wand. Immediately, shots of light pierced her body, and she fell to the ground, her body totally frozen.  
  
"Very good, my Death Eaters," she heard herself say as her face contorted into an expression that was not hers. "We must hurry back. I have a lot of catching up to do, and I have to introduce everyone to someone very special."  
  
Lilus couldn't talk. Suddenly, her palms shot to the ground, and she pushed herself up, her hands returning to normal. She stood up and looked at her palms.  
  
"It's...remarkable, my dear servants. The power of this naive witch. I can feel it running through me. I feel so young again."  
  
"Master, it delights us to be in your presence again."  
  
"Well, I am no more a teenaged girl than a werewolf. Take me back. I want to get out of this body and show you what it is capable of. She will no doubt be our greatest Death Eater of all."  
  
"Yes, Master. I trust you will learn her the ways of Death Eaters personally?"  
  
"Yes, this is a special case. I will teach her..." She laughed evilly and spread her wings again. "Come now. We have a long ways to go, and I'm eager to test these wings."  
  
She smashed the earth with those wings, sending her flying straight into the air. She flapped and with each beat, she went higher and higher. The wizards vanished, all but one. That one rose upon a broom and lead the teenaged girl through the sky.  
  
*******************************************************  
  
Jason stormed through the door of the Gryffindor house some time after midnight. Immediately, he threw a bag on his vacant bed and began to shove stuff in it, making as much noise as he could or so it seemed. Nick and Charlie stirred instantly, watching the enraged teenager pack what looked like camping gear.  
  
"Get your lazy asses out of bed. We're going to find Lilus," he hissed, grabbing Charlie's arm and yanking him out of bed.  
  
"What's the deal, man?!"  
  
"Lilus is gone! The fucking teachers are in a conspiracy. If we don't find her now, she isn't coming back alive," he croaked. "Get the others up. We're going into the forest."  
  
"The FOREST?"  
  
"WHAT?  
  
"DAMMIT! GET OUT OF BED!"  
  
Nick was thrown out of bed next. "Ow! Jason, what the hell is your problem?"  
  
"LILUS IS GOING TO DIE IF WE DON'T FIND HER NOW!!"  
  
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"  
  
Nick was against the wall in seconds with Jason's hands around his neck. "Lilus will die. DIE. SHE WILL DIE IF WE DO NOT GO FIND HER!"  
  
"SHE ISN'T GOING TO DIE! SHE'S IN THE ROOM OF REQUIREMENT!"  
  
"NO SHE FUCKING ISN'T!" Jason let Nick's neck go, and he grabbed his pack. "I don't give a shit about you guys. I'm going to save my best friend."  
  
With that, the door was slammed, and a candlestick fell off the table. Jason left the common room, and he stormed outside, giving Mrs. Norris the most daring look he could.  
  
Lilus was going to die. Not if he had anything to do with it.  
  
"Ready, Moony?" he said as he reached the forest's edge.  
  
Remus Lupin stepped out from behind Hagrid's house, clad in his normal robes with a bag slung around one shoulder. "I am. Let's go."  
  
The forest wasn't nearly as frightening as it had always been. Jason really didn't care about the forest right now. He cared about finding the one person in his life that he loved. She couldn't die. He didn't know what he would do if she died.  
  
"Remus, she's going to be okay, isn't she?"  
  
Remus pulled a book out of the bag, opening the pages to somewhere close to the end. "I fear she isn't. The tears, my boy. Her blood tears. 'I knew he had none other than Crimson Tears, but what demonic presence possessed him I would never know.' According to this diary, Crimson Tears is a sign of possession. Something's living inside her, something evil."  
  
Jason shook his head. "What? You mean all this time, she's been possessed?"  
  
"Lilus is in grave danger. If it's who I think it is, everyone could die."  
  
"Voldemort..."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Dammit. We have to find Lilus!"  
  
Calling her name proved ineffective, but they did it anyway, their voices echoing throughout the forest. Lilus never turned up. After about an hour of walking, they came to a clearing with boulders surrounding it. Instantly, an arrow whizzed past Jason's shoulder.  
  
"Stay where you are!"  
  
"No, wait! Please! You have to help us!" Moony cried, holding his arms in the air. "Have you seen a young woman come through here. Black hair, red eyes, black hands. Please, good sir, this is a matter of life and death!"  
  
The green centaur shook his head, but then he looked up at them. "Wait. Our elder said something about a strange witch. He said he found her here, and that she looked different from other humans. She said she was here because everyone else was around her was afraid of her. She said she didn't belong at Hogwarts."  
  
"Lilus...why did you..."  
  
"She went that direction," he said, pointing. "It's been many hours since that time, however. She may not be there. My men and I have not found any other human in this forest. Your friend may already be dead."  
  
No... 


	18. Lilus Potter: Dead at Sixteen

Chapter 18  
  
Jason picked at his food like always, prodding it with his fork and fingers. Finally, just like always, he shoved his plate away from him and put his head down on the table. Shawn stared at him from across the table. It was no use trying to get him to eat. He wouldn't eat.  
  
The school year had ended, and Lilus was no where to be found. The centaurs had searched the forest multiple times, not to mention the searches that the teachers did. No one was in the forest. Lilus was gone. She had just vanished. Jason had failed his classes, but his professors passed him anyway. He wasn't going through any good times. His parents had came up dead, killed by Death Eaters. He had stayed with Remus. There was no one else that he could stay with. Although Remus was not a very controlled werewolf, he did take care of his younger friend.  
  
Being a werewolf wasn't necessarily hard, and being with another one made the full moon go by a lot faster. All they did was fight, but it was a show of power, and Remus was just a tad bit stronger than Jason was. School began again, and the adoption papers for Jason had been finalized by Remus.  
  
It had become evident to just about everyone that Jason had been in love with Lilus one week after her disappearance. Shawn did have his suspicions, but he never really put any into deep thought. Jason had cried every night after that, and even in his room, he heard it. He spent a lot of time with Professor Lupin, and a lot of time in the hospital wing. The poor boy had lost everything. His parents were dead. His love was probably dead. His emotions had just stopped.  
  
His emotions were dead.  
  
Jason raised his head and looked at Shawn. "I'm going to bed."  
  
"But Jason, it's only lunch time."  
  
"I don't give a shit. Tell the professors I'm skipping."  
  
He stood up and began to walk towards the door. Shawn nodded at his back, and Jason disappeared through the doors. Justin stared at him.  
  
"Lilus again?"  
  
"Poor boy."  
  
Jason wandered around the halls, slinking along the walls and poking at the paintings. Finally, he came to the library where he sat down at the table farthest away from the door, the one hidden behind the bookshelves. He put his head down and closed his eyes, although sooner or later, the tears began to flow again, and he bit down on his bottom lip to keep from sobbing.  
  
The nightmares. Burning. Screaming. Pain. Then nothing. It was always the same thing. Nightmares about her dying. Seer dreams that he didn't want to have. Death Eaters. Voldemort. Torture. Burning.  
  
He fell asleep sometime during that; he wasn't sure how he could. He jerked up, his eyes half closed. When they finally focused, there was a boy in front of him. He looked unamused, brown hair, brown eyes. His arms were crossed, and he was leaning back in the chair, propping his feet on the table.  
  
"Evening, Jason."  
  
Jason squinted. "Who the hell are you?"  
  
"You haven't seen me before. My name is Snid."  
  
Jason's eyes lit up. "You're that Snid guy? The Ravenclaw?"  
  
The boy nodded. "Yes."  
  
"Why are you here?"  
  
Snid shrugged, but then his eyes connected with Jason's, and he cast his glance to the floor. "Lilus is alive."  
  
Jason nearly leapt across the table. He had the boy pinned against the floor, straddling his waist. "WHERE IS SHE?!"  
  
Snid coughed. "I...don't know. Just know...please get off me."  
  
Talon jumped to the side. "Where is she?"  
  
"She's going to come back here, but, listen to me, LISTEN TO ME! She isn't going to be herself."  
  
Snid sat up and pulled Jason under the table. "What do you mean?"  
  
"You know what the Crimson Tears is a symptom of? Possession of an evil spirit. Voldemort is alive."  
  
"I know that..."  
  
"Voldemort has been inside her body ever since the death of her parents. The Death Eaters have beaten her into submission, and when she comes back, she will be under Voldemort's control. We have to wait until the right time to strike. Jason, you can't tell anyone this. If anyone else knows, we will die. Voldemort will see, hear, and feel everything she does. If you even mention any of this, then the plan will be ruined."  
  
"We?"  
  
"Lilus and me."  
  
"What? How the hell would you know all this stuff?"  
  
"Because I'm a Death Eater."  
  
Jason grabbed his shoulders. "Tell me what the fuck they did to her."  
  
"Listen, if I told you, you would lose all sanity left in your head. She's alive, and we're going to get rid of Voldemort once and for all, but right now, you can't breathe a word."  
  
"I swear it."  
  
"Jason, we both love her. Be thankful that you did not have to watch her get tortured. Know that she is alive, and she's coming back here. Act like you always do, but never mention me or Raphael. Understand?"  
  
"Raphael?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Why did you mention him?"  
  
"He's the Death Eater that gives me my information."  
  
"Gees, Hogwarts has gone to the Death Eaters!"  
  
Snid drug him out of the floor, and he sat in his chair again. "Be strong for her. If you have ever loved her, be strong for her."  
  
"Where can I find you?"  
  
"You can't."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because I don't always look like this."  
  
"Who do you look like?"  
  
"Not for you to know. Remember what I have told you."  
  
Snid turned and looked at him, and his brown eyes melted into blue. "Don't come looking for me. I'll find you."  
  
"One more question. When is she coming back?"  
  
"Two days. Midnight. In the lake."  
  
Snid left the room, and Jason found himself wide-eyed on the floor.  
  
******************************************************************************  
  
Lilus was alive.  
  
But, that Snid guy. He liked Lilus too, and from what she had told him, she was interested. He might have lost his chance with her, but she was still his best friend, not that Snid guy's. That would always be his.  
  
She was alive. She wasn't dead.  
  
But that torture. The torture that he spoke of.  
  
Lilus...  
  
He would find her. The lake. Two days. Lilus was coming back. It was close to the half point of his seventh year. She had been taken about a year ago, but now she was coming back. That night, Jason went to sleep. He was content. He was going to get to see his friend again.  
  
***  
  
The Cruciatus Curse.  
  
The Imperius Curse.  
  
Two of three Unforgivables.  
  
Slowly, she rose from the ground, her arms shaking from the force. Her arms and shoulders were black, but only her hands were scaled. The newly grown tail lay limp on the ground behind her, and she lifted her head just enough to stare at the Death Eater who had cast the spell. Blood dripped from the corners of her mouth, and he could see the tattoo that covered her back through the rip in her shirt. The Dark Mark. She stood, her long beautiful hair cropped off crudely. She shot a glance to him, the pale man with red eyes sitting in the throne in the corner.  
  
*Why? You claim to be my father, but this is no parenthood,* she hissed.  
  
*This is your training,* he answered back as coldly as a frostbitten winter.  
  
*This is torture! What do you want from me!?*  
  
*I want to see your limit!*  
  
*You want to see me suffer!*  
  
*You are not dead, daughter. Nor will you ever die by my hand.*  
  
*You will die by mine.*  
  
*I will teach you your place, child.*  
  
He nodded his head to the man in front of her. He raised his wand, and Lilus fell backwards from the blast, new gashes being ripped through her clothes and skin. She howled with pain, finally falling back on the ground again. Instantly, she was on her feet, charging at the Death Eater with outstretched claws.  
  
"Imperio!"  
  
She sank to her knees, her face placid and beautiful like it had always been.  
  
"Crucio!"  
  
She was wrenched onto her back, wreathing on the ground as the invisible torture raged on her body. It didn't take long that time.  
  
*You...will...die...Father. I will...kill...*  
  
And she passed into darkness once again.  
  
***  
  
He jerked upwards, drenched in cold sweat. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, something shot out of the window. He was in the bedroom, his bedroom. The twins were sleeping in their beds, and the lights were out. The window...  
  
He rushed to the window and looked out, his skin glistening in the moonlight. Something had been there.  
  
He really didn't want to go to bed again. The thing at the window, he didn't know if it was coming back. And...the nightmare. Crucio! Lilus, what happened to you?  
  
He did sleep again, but there was no dreams this time, only the darkness.  
  
***************************************************************************  
  
Jason woke up the next morning shaking like hell. He slid his legs out of bed and looked at the twins across from him. They were still sleeping. The sun had not come out yet. It was too early, but he was too excited to go back to sleep. Lilus was alive. Almost an entire year of her absence, but she was alive. She was coming back.  
  
But inhabited.  
  
Voldemort didn't know when to quit!  
  
Lilus was coming back. Everything was going to be okay. She was alive.  
  
One year in the Death Eater's capture.  
  
What torture, he couldn't imagine.  
  
He slid into his robes and walked out into the common room, plopping down on the sofa. He'd hug her. He'd hug her so tight. He would never let go.  
  
But that Snid guy didn't pass the smell test. He was hiding way too much. It was one of those...sense things.  
  
He stared into the fire, watching the picture from last night's nightmare. Short hair? Why did they cut off her hair? Her eyes were the same. Her body had been riddled with scars and bruises, and her arms were black. But she was still the same, wasn't she? There was no way she had agreed to be the one thing that killed her parents. It had to be forced.  
  
Voldemort was inside her. He would hear everything she would hear. He would feel everything she felt. See what she saw.  
  
She would have a parasite living inside of her.  
  
He heard something stalk downstairs, and he turned his head curiously. It was Diego.  
  
"Hey," Jason said.  
  
Diego instantly rose his head and stared. "You're awfully happy today. What's wrong?"  
  
Jason jumped. Had he really been that depressed?  
  
"Good dream," he said. "Lilus was alive, and we were making out at the lake."  
  
Diego rolled his eyes. "Yup, you're back to normal. Took you a long time."  
  
"Shut up. My best friend vanished in thin air. How would you feel if Kimmy was gone like that?"  
  
Diego nodded. "Yeah. I know. Sorry about that."  
  
He sat down next to him and stretched his limbs.  
  
"What...do you think happened to her?"  
  
Jason nodded his head. "I know what happened to her. Death Eaters took her from the forest."  
  
Diego's eyes got really big. "What?"  
  
"That's what happened."  
  
Jason stood up and walked towards the door.  
  
"That's what happened."  
  
********************************************************************  
  
Whips, chains, the curses. She rose against them all, having been beaten numerous times. The room she was in was small, build of stone and bewitched not to break apart should she transform. There were transparent green chains on her wrists and around her ankles, and one around her neck. She crouched next to the fireplace, taking in as much heat as she could. Her tail waved in the fireplace, taunting the flames to come closer.  
  
The rips in the white and red shirt she wore revealed the Dark Mark once again, now permanently scarred into her being. It had been accepted. The creature at the fireplace stood up and moved to the center of the room, the chains rattling.  
  
"Father, father, please, help me. Help me control this power inside of me. Mother, mother, mother, forgive me for what I have done. I just...wasn't accepted there. In your world, I don't belong. Father, there is a force that's growing inside of me. He claims to be helping me enslave it, but he only wants to see what I can withstand. Father!"  
  
She sat on the ground and stared at the ceiling, her tail curling around her stomach.  
  
"Help me, mother and father. I need your help."  
  
For a long time, she didn't move. She remained still for the next few hours, moving just barely to breathe. Finally, the Death Eaters came to fetch her again, but they paused just inside the door. One drew his wand out.  
  
"Imperio!"  
  
The light shot towards her, but it vanished within inches of her back. The two men drew their wands out together and muttered the same curse, but it ended with the same result.  
  
She stood up slowly, turning around to face them, her eyes closed. A demonic grin made its way across her pretty face, and the two men shrank away as her eyes opened, her grin nearly stretching from ear to ear.   
  
"The world is yours," she chanted, "if you desire. Let's go set the world on fire!"  
  
She reared back her head, and suddenly, the men were engulfed in flames. The jet of red didn't cease from her mouth until she extinguished it from laughing.  
  
"VOLDEMORT! HEAR ME! YOU SHALL NEVER ENSLAVE ME! I AM BLACKWING, BORN OF DRAGON'S BLOOD!"  
  
*****************************************************  
  
Fell asleep in class again.  
  
Jason fell out of his chair, and the class sniggered at him. Professor Snape was not amused.  
  
"Detention, Mr. Alus!"  
  
Jason rubbed his head and climbed into his chair again. "Sorry, sir. You're inspirational lecture inspired me to a whole new world," he said with a laugh.  
  
Normally, Snape would have given him double detention, but this was good news. Jason hadn't done anything even remotely comical since Lilus disappeared. Snape covered his smile expertly, and returned to the board, continuing with his lecture.  
  
Two days. One day down, she was coming tonight. He would see his friend again. He would still accept her like always, even though the Dark Mark covered her back was real. He would accept her even though her hands couldn't be turned back. He would accept her even though she was Voldemort's daughter. He would accept her as Lilus Potter, daughter of the greatest hero of the wizard world and one of the greatest scholars the world had ever seen. He would accept her as Gryffindor's greatest Seeker. He would accept her with her red eyes. He would accept his friend.  
  
She was coming back.  
  
Words could not describe how happy he was. He was ready to run up to Snape and kiss him on the cheek, but, due to disgusting and wrong circumstances, he wouldn't. Lilus was coming back.   
  
She was alive.  
  
***************************  
  
Jason first noticed it when he walked into the room. Raphael slinked in as usual, the beautiful, icy blue eyes piercing the floor.  
  
Raphael looked at Jason.  
  
It was a fast glance, but it would have been longer had Jason not been looking back. Jason had a satisfied smirk on his face, and Malfoy had seen it.   
  
Something was hidden.  
  
Snid payed him another visit in the library, at the table that no one could see from the door. "You've been acting strange."  
  
Jason's stupid grin played across his face again. "How do you figure?"  
  
Snid looked into his eyes for a moment, as if trying to read his mind.  
  
"It's funny," Jason said. "The senses you gain while being werewolf are much more advanced than those of a normal wizard. Sight, hearing, smell..."  
  
He let his voice linger on his last word. Snid shook his head and laughed.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
Jason just grinned wider. "You know what I'm talking about. The deal with you and Malfoy."  
  
Snid still had the smile on his face, but it faded ever so slightly. "I don't know what you mean."  
  
Jason leaned over the table and crossed his arms. "When are you going to tell Lilus?"  
  
Snid's expression changed entirely. "You do know."  
  
He nodded. "I don't know. Never if I can keep this up. It's a lot easier this way, talking to her and all."  
  
"You are too shady. You haven't passed the smell test, Ravenclaw. She'd never be able to get close to you. The bad thing about Lilus is that she knows when you're keeping something from her. You'd never make it two weeks. She'd figure out one way or another."  
  
Snid sighed. "I know. You're right, but you can't tell her. I will tell her when the time comes. After the plan is complete."  
  
Jason nodded. "You're lucky I'm nice."  
  
"Why are you talking about Lilus and me? You want her too."  
  
Jason shrugged. "Maybe, but if she chooses a punk like you over me, I'll stick with just being her friend."  
  
Snid nodded.  
  
"But be warned. You screw with her, I'm gonna kill you. And I mean that."  
  
Snid looked at him and shivered slightly.  
  
"Please, believe me that I wouldn't do anything to hurt her. Not after what she's been through. But you can't tell her anything."  
  
"Deal. What are you going to give me for my silence?"  
  
"Give you?"  
  
Jason grinned. "Give me. You tell me everything that went on there. Understand? I want to know what those bastards did to her."  
  
The Ravenclaw sighed. "Jason, those terms aren't agreeable. I am bound by oath never to reveal..."  
  
"Lilus is my best friend. You tell me what happened to her. I don't fucking care about an oath of the Death Eaters or whatever. I care about her."  
  
"I will tell you when she gets back."  
  
Jason nodded. "Okay, deal, but if you forget..."  
  
"I won't forget."  
  
"Good. I'm leaving. She's coming tonight."  
  
He left Snid, and the last thing he heard was the Ravenclaw cursing about how troublesome werewolves were.  
  
***********************************************  
  
She was pulled out of the burning inferno with the evil grin on her face. She stared at him with just as much intensity, waiting for him to say anything about the prison of flame that she had left.  
  
"Two down, Dad. You're next."  
  
She snorted, fire blowing through her nostrils. Smoke followed, and the excess drained out of her mouth.  
  
"You're mine," she hissed.  
  
Voldemort shook his head. "Child..."  
  
"My name is Lilus POTTER! DAUGHTER OF HARRY AND HERMIONE POTTER! GET FUCKING OVER IT!"   
  
She threw her arms in the air, breathing a short jet of flame and whipping her tail at any who came close.  
  
"Yes, Draco, you may do the honors."  
  
The man with the black hood came forward, drew his wand, and pointed it at the humanoid creature.   
  
"Crucio!"  
  
Lilus sank to her knees, but no cries of pain came from her. Her grin remained the same, and she just laughed at him.  
  
"You've already lost, Voldemort. No matter what you do to me, I'll come back and bite you in the end..."  
  
"CRUCIO!"  
  
She was thrown backwards, her body tightening. The grin and laughter disappeared, and she groaned in agony in response.  
  
**********************************************  
  
Remus Lupin, clad in his sleeping gown and nightcap and his nose in a book, trudged through his bedroom. That book was a baby album, the baby book that had been given to him by Ron Weasley. Lilus's baby book. First picture for everything. First steps, first burp, first spoonful of baby food slung across the room.  
  
His goddaughter was dead, presumed dead a month after her disappearance. If Voldemort was alive again, what else could he possibly want than to wipe out the Potter family? He did it.  
  
He suddenly lost his footing and slammed against the wall, which was very strange since he usually knew ever inch of his office. Something snapped. He gathered himself up again and drew the picture from beneath his foot.   
  
The Originals. The four boys stared at him and waved, endlessly happy, endlessly caught in youth. James Potter. Sirius Black. Peter Pettigrew. And last, hiding a little towards the back, dressed in his Gryffindor school robes. Those were the good days, but now, he was the last of the Marauders. Thank God Lilus had started the Marauders again.  
  
Lilus...  
  
Where did the picture come from? Its shelf was across the room, but it was here, behind his desk.  
  
Lilus...  
  
It was inescapable. All he wanted was to think of her. She had died young. Too young. Jason had taken it hard. The Weasley gang did too, but they didn't show it at all except with each other at most of the Quidditch games. He heard them talk amongst each other about her at the beginning of each game, asking her to help them in their games, and to, even then, show the new Seeker Kyle Jasin how the job was done. They hadn't lost a game yet, but that was only because Lilus had trained their new Seeker and co-Seeker so well. She had been prepared. It had been as if she knew that she was going to be taken. Jason took the liberty of making the two younger boys even sharper by taking to his broom and training with them one at a time. He was no where close in comparison to Lilus, but he was better than most thought he was.   
  
Remus sighed and plucked the picture from the floor, muttering a spell to fix the broken glass. That was her favorite picture. She loved the way he looked at that age. She loved everything in his office. His small library behind his desk. She had read just about every book twice. He never let her grade his papers though. She wasn't a professor.  
  
Minerva had been very sorrowful since Lilus vanished. Jason had no respect for that woman. If she rose to give a speech, he stood up in the middle of it and left the room, making as much commotion as he could in the meantime. She could do nothing to punish him. He had been right. She had caused his best friend to run away, leading to the events of her death. He never spoke to her again, and when he was around, he'd throw her the meanest glances.  
  
He stood up and put the picture on his desk. He heard a squeaking at his window, and he turned quickly, brandishing his wand as if it was a sword. There, on the window, was something red, being traced out of thin air. He could see nothing behind it, no light, no wand. Just blackness.  
  
IM BACK  
  
Remus felt something run up his spine. Voldemort. It had to be, but that wasn't the most chilling part.  
  
It was written in blood, and that blood smelled...too familiar. 


	19. Return

Chapter Nineteen  
  
"I'm sure you know this nice, young man. He looks promising, darling. You remember his name? His name is Alexander. He goes to Hogwarts, and he's here to keep you company. Have fun, and behave yourself, Daughter," Voldemort said, gently ushering the young wizard forward.  
  
"Shove it, Baldymort," she growled, snapping at his direction.  
  
Alexander walked over to her, sitting on her bed next to her. She was now in a more decent room, looking much like a room at Hogwarts. It had the basics, bedroom, bathroom, closet. It was well furnished, and she was dressed appropriotly. At the moment, she was sitting on her bed, looking none to pleased to see either of the boys, but having a much more problem with Voldemort. She didn't seem to mind Alex too much.  
  
Alexander seemed shocked with the attitude that she used with her "father." Voldemort left without hesitation, leaving the two teenagers in the room. She rolled her eyes and jumped off her bed, walking over to the fireplace. She moved the logs inside with her tail and leaned against the wall, casting an irritated look at him.  
  
"My peche, you look a lot more specta..."  
  
"Save it, Alex," she said. "Just because I'm slightly converted doesn't mean you're my best friend."  
  
She turned around, giving him the full view of her back, where the leather had been keenfully sewed around.  
  
"Did that hurt? I know it hurt when I received mine, but I don't think I could imagine one that took up my entire back."  
  
It was funny. She was half and half, part Death Eater, part against them. Now, Alex wasn't so much of a bad guy, and Voldemort was content on getting them together, but she would have none of it.  
  
"Yeah, I couldn't sleep on my back for six days, but that's with the whipings and beatings that came with it."  
  
The white blonde walked next to her, gently smoothing his palms over her shoulders. She flinched under his touch and politely brushed him away. He just leaned calmly against the wall, his eyes flashing at her.  
  
"I can't imagine how much that..."  
  
"No, you can't," she spat. "Look, forgive me for not accepting you. I've been through a year of torture, mutilation, stress, God knows what else. I really don't give a fuck about what Baldymort thinks. I don't want to marry you. I don't want to marry any damn Death Eater. You've gone from class A asshole to class A flirt. I'm just not interested."  
  
He nodded. "I know it's been hard. I can't empathize with you, but the Dark Lord just wants to make you the best."  
  
She shook her head once and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "He thinks he can turn me into his pawn like he has the rest of you. It doesn't work like that."  
  
Alex put his knuckles on the back of her neck. "And through all that, you're still as soft as silk."  
  
"Alexander, stop it. I don't love you. I really don't like you. You're just tolerable now." She sat on her bed again and watched him. "I just want to go back."  
  
He looked disgusted. "Want to go back? Apart from this? You could live a life of royalty that you would never imagine if you would just be what you were born to be!"  
  
"And what would that be?"  
  
"Master's daughter!"  
  
"I am NOT that beast's daughter. I am not his pawn."  
  
"You are his daughter as much as you are Harry's. He and Harry were merged together when he impregnated your mother. Harry's only half your father. The Dark Lord's the other half."  
  
"That may be so, but I will never accept him as my father. He doesn't know how to be loving. He's incapable of love. He's incapable of being a father."  
  
Alexander sat on the bed next to her. "Excuse my language, milady, but if you would stop being such a bitch to him, maybe he would show more signs of fatherhood."  
  
She drew her knees to her and nodded, but then shook her head. "If he was really a father to me, why is he so intent on letting me reach my full power? All I ever wanted was to have my mom and dad back, my friends. I wanted people to stop being afraid of me, and I wanted a boyfriend. Like that's ever going to happen, and I don't care how much you suck up to me or him, it will never be you."  
  
His smile faded. "Why?"  
  
"You nearly killed Diego, and you gave me a headache that lasted for two weeks, that's why!" she snorted.  
  
"That little pest had it coming to him. If he hadn't interfered on the field..."  
  
"He wouldn't have interfered if you hadn't been bothering me about the recent death of my family."  
  
"True, but the runt should learn to mind his own business. I taught him a valuable lesson."  
  
"Go near my friends again, Alex, and I'll tear your head off. You may have become tolerable, but I swear if you touch a hair on any of them, you're dead."  
  
"We are supposed to be on opposite sides, Lilus. I will fight against your friends because they are the enemy. I know that once back at the school, you will fight against me, but we can keep what goes on between us a secret," he said, reaching over for her shoulders.  
  
"Alex, touch me and burn."  
  
"Fine, love, but I'm always open for you."  
  
She smiled mockingly at him. "Thank you. I'll always keep that in mind."  
  
"I must take my leave now. May I not have a farewell kiss? Just on the cheek?"  
  
She didn't answer, and he took that for a yes. He leaned over and gave her a sharp peck on the cheek before rising from his seat and stalking towards the door. He turned around and caught her eyes.  
  
"Farewell, my peche."  
  
"Bye."  
  
"And that's how it came to be. I have yet to fill you in on the details, but there's a little," said the figure from the window.  
  
Jason had fallen asleep in the common room. The fire's light did not reach the shadow in the corner, and it moved in the darkness making no sound at all. He jerked up, grabbing his wand and waving it in the air towards the shadow. The figure stopped moving, and he slowly lowered his wand.  
  
"L...Li...."  
  
She slinked into the light, her short-cropped hair clean and dressed in Gryffindor robes. She climbed onto the back of the sofa and stared at him. He could plainly see the tail wave behind her. It had a bumpy ridge going down it, and it ended in a sharp spike. This was his friend. Lilus was alive. She was right in front of him, alive and back.  
  
"All of it is true, then? The Dark Mark and everything?" Jason asked, trying to catch his breath.  
  
She nodded, looking at the floor in shame. He stood up and walked to her side, just staring at her for a while. She was there. He reached out and gently brushed his fingers across her cheek. She flinched under his touch slightly, her body trembling. She was really there. This wasn't a dream. This wasn't another dream. It was real. She was right here.  
  
"Oh, my God! Lilus, you're alive!" he cried, breaking into tears.  
  
His arms were around her in an instant, and she nestled into his embrace, squeezing him tightly. One year away from this. One year away from his warmth was too much. One year away from her friends, the only family she had left.  
  
"Jason, how I have missed you," she whispered, the blood tears overflowing her eyes as well. "You have no idea...what I've been through."  
  
He looked at her, the tears flowing uncontrollably down his cheeks. "I hoped... I prayed that you were alive. I prayed. Everyday for one year, I prayed that you would come back."  
  
He had, every night. He had prayed that she'd get to come back. His Seer visions had never given him anything that didn't include near death torture. All he knew of her was pain, but then, he wasn't so sure about those dreams.  
  
"Jason, you can't mention this to anyone. You can't mention what I've shown you in the dreams. I am not a Death Eater, okay? Not entirely. I'm still going to fight against them. It's just now, Voldemort has a lot more influence in my life. Part of me wants to be...but the other half hates it."  
  
Jason looked her straight in the eye and kissed her hard on her lips. It was the best thing he had ever felt. He had dreamed of kissing her, but it had never actually happened, but now, his fantasies were no where to be found. He was so damn happy to see his friend again.  
  
"God fucking damn it! Lilus, I won't tell anyone, but, did you agree to it?"  
  
She collapsed against him and started bawling. "No, but then, near the end of my time with them, it didn't seem so bad."  
  
"Lilus, they killed your parents."  
  
"I'm not all Death Eater. Voldemort knows that."  
  
"Fuck Voldemort. You're alive, and you're back. Oh my fucking god! I knew it! I knew you would come back! The others thought you were dead, but I prayed."  
  
Jason held her tightly against him. Suddenly, his hand traveled south, and he grabbed the flailing appendage behind her. Instantly, her knees gave way, and she snatched it from him.  
  
"You're bleeding!"  
  
"Look, Wolfie. Don't touch the tail. It's very sensitive. I'm okay. Just a scratch."  
  
Jason laughed and nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."  
  
She smiled at him, and he could see that inside, really, she was just the same as she had always been. His friend had changed a little, and he could see the faint outlines of scars on her body. Her hair was short, and her eyes were dark red. She wore gloves to cover her hands, and she had sharp teeth. She looked a little more demonic, but it was Lilus all the way. She was still his friend. She was still alive. She was here. She was still the Seeker. She was still Remy's best student. She was still the peacemaker with Snape.  
  
"Have they kicked me off the Quidditch team?"  
  
Jason laughed. "Of course not. You're a ... er ... still living legend."  
  
She nodded. "That's good. Come on. We need to go see Remy. I scared him a little when I came back."  
  
"Yeah, you want me to go get your cloak?"  
  
Lilus shrugged. "We can fly over there."  
  
Jason's eyes lit up. "Yeah, let's fly."  
  
She grinned and walked over to the window sill, springing out of it and catching herself on her two wings that just materialized out of nowhere. Jason was right behind her, covered in bird feathers topped off with a beak. She flew around the towers, attaching herself to the side of a tower right next to a window. Jason hovered behind her, and she knocked the window open, slipping inside. The blood had been wiped off. Her wings turned into hands as soon as they entered the window. Jason flew inside and landed on the desk, transforming back and jumping off.  
  
"Remy?" she whispered softly.  
  
There was no sound. She walked into his bedroom, and she could see the sleeping mound in the bed. She walked over to a candle and gently blew a jet of fire out of her nose and onto the wick. She knelt down next to his bed, watching the older wizard sleep.  
  
"Remy, wake up. I'm home..."  
  
She gently prodded him in his shoulder, causing him to stirr.  
  
"Remy, I'm home. Wake up!"  
  
Remy's eyes opened as she shook him, and he sprung over the side of his bed, crashing into the floor. She jumped over it to check on him, but he just stood up and backed against the wall.  
  
"Get away from me!" he said, grabbing his wand off the night table.  
  
"MOONY! IT'S LILUS! DON'T SPELL HER!" Jason said, grabbing the wand out of Remus's hand.  
  
Remus stared at Jason for a while as if he was retarded. Then his glance went to Lilus, and he collapsed on the floor, crying his heart out, his eyes staring at hers. Lilus knelt in front of him and wrapped her arms around him. His shaky hands groped for her back and he squeezed her tightly.  
  
"Remy, it's okay. I'm home."  
  
"You're alive! Oh, Lilus! I...thought you...were...dead! I...I'm..." He tightened his grip on her, crying into her shoulder.  
  
"Remy, everything's going to be okay. Look, I'm not dead. I'm fine."  
  
He suddenly started laughing, and he laughed so hard he started crying again. "OH MY GOD! LILUS! YOU'RE ALIVE! OH MY GOD! I HAVE TO GET THE OTHERS!" He threw on his robe and house slippers. "COME ON!"  
  
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her along and Jason rushed behind them, laughing his head off.  
  
"MINERVA! SEVERUS! FIRENZE! WAKE UP! WAKE UP NOW!"  
  
Nearly three seconds later, the teachers fell out of their rooms in a heap of discomfort and emergency. "What's wrong?!"  
  
Everyone of them crowded around him, and he was panting, shaking, and trying to talk at the same time. Jason stood behind him, grinning innocently.  
  
"What's wrong, Remus?" Minerva asked.  
  
"Lilus is alive! She..."  
  
Everything was quiet. Remus turned around, but to his dismay, all he found was Jason standing there.  
  
"She was right here, I swear it!" he cried.  
  
"Mr. Alus! You are out of bed!" Minerva demanded.  
  
"And your point is?" he snapped, giving her the cursed look again.  
  
"Remus, go back to sleep. You're still having nightmares for Christ's sake," Snape said, rolling his eyes.  
  
Jason shook his head. "No, she's...here... She's on the ceiling."  
  
At about the same time, something long and thin slid around Severus's shoulders. His eyes got really big, and everyone glanced at the ceiling. Lilus jumped behind Remus, but her clawmarks could still be seen in the stone.  
  
"...Lilus?" Firenze whimpered.  
  
"Ms. Potter?" Minerva squeaked.  
  
"..." (Snape was in shock.)  
  
She stood up and nodded her head at the ground. "Yeah, it's..."  
  
Minerva burst forward, throwing her arms around the girl. "OH MY POOR CHILD, I AM SO SORRY! ARE YOU OKAY? ARE YOU HURT? WHAT HAPPENED? HARRY WOULD KILL ME FOR TREATING YOU THE WAY I HAVE! FORGIVE..."  
  
"Headmistress, please. It's done and over with. I just had to get out, that's all. As you can see, I've evolved over the last year." She stood up straight and turned around, letting the professors looked at her. "Am I still on the Quidditch team? When's our next game?"  
  
Minerva looked at Severus. "Yes, dear, but using your wings is forbidden."  
  
"I don't have to use my wings."  
  
Remus wrapped his arms around his goddaughter and squeezed her tightly. "I'm going back to bed. Lilus is coming with me. We have too much to talk about."  
  
As much as she wanted to punch Professor McGonagall, she was glad to be back. Every part of her had dreamed about coming back since she had been told that she would be back. Everything was unchanged. Everything was so right here. She missed the blasted mold on the bricks! Damn! She had missed all this too much. She couldn't wait to get back on the field again. In the air. Of course, in the air was her life now. She always wanted to fly.  
  
"Lilus, where did you go? What happened?"  
  
Jason rubbed his neck. "I'm gonna go to bed. Catch you guys in the morning. Lilus, we have all too much to talk about. You better be up bright and early tomorrow."  
  
She smiled and nodded her head. "Okay. Be back in a little while."  
  
She lifted her head and looked at Remus. He smiled happily, his eyes overflowing with joy, literally. She smiled weakly and looked at the disappearing Jason. How would she explain to Remus what had happened? How would she explain to him that she was now a Death Eater. Although Voldemort couldn't read her thoughts, if he spoke anything about the Order, it would be blown. She was a Death Eater. She could become a spy like Snape had been, once upon a very long time ago.  
  
Lilus Potter, the daughter of Harry and Hermione Potter, the greatest aurors of their generation, a Death Eater. Talk about a teenaged rebel. Jason understood. But she could feel it that he wanted to know why she even began to agree to it. If anyone else knew, it would be splattered across the front page of the Daily Prophet for years to come. LILUS POTTER, TRAITOR TO THE POTTER FAMILY.  
  
Voldemort forced her in, and once a Death Eater always a Death Eater, until death that is. Everytime he called the Death Eaters, she would be notified. She would follow his call, and be there. She'd have to live two lives. She wanted to be a Death Eater, some deranged part of her that was darker than anything else. She wanted that throne of power. She wanted to be feared. But she was her Father's child, both of them. She wanted to destroy him.  
  
"I...adopted Jason."  
  
Remy's voice broke the silence of the hallway. "What?"  
  
"His parents were killed while you were gone. He didn't have anywhere else to go. Much like your father was," he said slowly. "He stayed with me over vacation. He's gotten the hang of the werewolf ways."  
  
Lilus nodded her head solumnly. "Well, I guess that kinda makes us siblings, huh?"  
  
Remus nodded, then smiled weakly. "One year ago, I didn't have any children, and now I have two teenagers."  
  
Lilus threw her arms around him and crushed him against her. "Oh God, Remy! I've missed all of this so much!"  
  
Remus cuddled her softly. "You have had no idea. The Weasleys will be glad to see you. That and you have a game against Ravenclaw next month. I think Kyle will have mixed decisions about you're arrival. He's gotten rather good at Quidditch."  
  
She nodded. "I knew he had the stuff."  
  
"What...happened to you? What did the Death Eaters do to you?"  
  
There it was. She didn't know how to answer that question. What had happened to her? She wasn't sure she could tell Remy. How did he know about the Death Eaters?  
  
"I...learned a lot of new things."  
  
Remus gently took her hands in his and looked her in the eyes. "Please, tell me."  
  
It was silent when they entered his office. She sat down slowly in her favorite chair, and he sat behind his desk. She stared into the fire and sighed. She had to tell Remus. He was her family.  
  
"Don't tell anything," she whispered. "I really don't want to tell you, because under the truth potion, you'll spill it all."  
  
Remy looked at his hands and nodded.  
  
"But I want to tell you."  
  
He looked up again.  
  
"I learned...that Voldemort...is alive. I learned that...he is..."  
  
My father.  
  
Say it!  
  
Voldemort is...  
  
"my father."  
  
Remus shook his head. "That's impossible! He was dead when your mother and father were married!"  
  
Blackwing shook her head. "No, he wasn't. Voldemort couldn't die unless Dad died. It's like the incident when Dad was a baby. Voldemort just vanished. This time, he became a part of Dad. Their souls merged for a long time."  
  
Her godfather looked dumbfounded.  
  
"Voldemort didn't want to kill me. He...just wants to turn me into a pawn. He just wants the dragon. That's it."  
  
Remus stood up and walked over to her. "Lilus, everything's okay now. It's all going to be alright."  
  
Should she tell him that she was a Death Eater? No, she shouldn't. That was too important for him to know right now.  
  
She hugged him again. "Lilus, you should get some sleep. You can still used the Room of Requi..."  
  
"I really don't want to sleep there. The last time I did, I was locked in."  
  
Remy looked ashamed. "Minerva is very sorry for what she did. She was just frightened, Lilus. Do you want me to take you back to your House?"  
  
Lilus looked at the ceiling. "I don't know. I'm sure if everyone woke up with me there, they'd all have heart attacks. What about breakfast? Would that be a convenient surprise?"  
  
Remus shook his head. "You're trying to turn this into a grand entrance? I think you should go see your friends tonight. They've missed you terribly."  
  
She nodded. "I know, but...I really don't want to go there now. They'll ask a lot of questions, you know?"  
  
They'd ask too many questions. They'd all want to know where she had been, what happened to her. God only knows what else. They'd just ask questions and be happy that their star Seeker and near sister was back. She could always wait until morning to show herself to the others. She could just talk to Jason tonight. No doubt he'd be in the Common Room waiting for her.  
  
"I understand."  
  
"I'll go back to the House. Jason and I have lots to discuss as well."  
  
Remus nodded. "He doesn't like to talk about his parents. He's told me that he wasn't close to them anyway, that it would just be strange not going to his house again. He lives with me now, Lilus, but the house is still big enough for one more."  
  
She smiled. "I'm taking you up on that offer."  
  
"I'll walk you back to your house."  
  
She was back. After one complete year of torture that would make Argus Filch cringe, she was back. Quidditch was next month. Ravenclaw. Their Seeker was good, but their Keeper and Chasers were not on track. Their bludgers were good, though. Another problem. Well, she was still the Seeker of the Century, having already been offered professional places since her fourth year. Ah, that fourth year, the bloom of her Quidditch life. So many owls asking about Quidditch scholarships. That was a fun year. The other Seekers had no idea what had hit them. At that time, though, she wasn't retarded to Bludgers.  
  
What would Jason say?  
  
She had to find Snid. She had to apologize to him. Snid, was he okay? Did he know she was back from Raphael's information?  
  
She'd missed him. She'd missed all of them. Justin would be glad to have her back.  
  
What would Justin say? What would happen if everyone found out about the Dark Mark, the parasite that lived on her back. He'd never be the same again. He'd never trust her with anything again. They couldn't know yet. Only Jason could be trusted.  
  
"Okay," she said, standing up.  
  
"It's going to be much better from now on. You're safe now. Just please, never try to run away again. I don't want to lose you."  
  
"I won't."  
  
She hugged him tightly, and he walked with her down to her House. 


	20. Rejoining Society

Chapter 20  
  
"Can I see it?"  
  
She turned around to face Jason's curious yet serious face. He stared back at her, and she turned to face him. She looked at the floor and nodded, walking over to him and sitting on the couch next to him, facing away.  
  
"Just be careful."  
  
She flipped her robes up, and he entangled his fingers in them. He lifted the robe and stopped when he saw the outline of it just over her purple underwear. He gasped, lifting it onto her shoulders. It covered her entire back. The skull looked grim and evil, and then the snake coming out of its mouth didn't help. He gingerly touched it with his knuckles, and then he let her robes slide down.  
  
"It's a spell, to put it on. It burns into your skin for three days. You can't sleep, you can't do anything. Of course, when it just covers your arm, it only stings for a while."  
  
Jason looked at the floor. "What...did Alex want from you?"  
  
She turned around and stared into the fire. "Voldemort wants me to marry him, but he's a thorn in my side. He's a total ass for the first half of the year, but then he wants to marry me. The guy has serious problems."  
  
Jason looked at her, and she looked back. "What...does...the Cruciatus feel like?"  
  
He choked on his words, and then she started to remember. There wasn't much to remember before she blacked out.  
  
"Your body burns. It's ripped. It's broken. It's strangled. Your muscles spasm and beat. Your heart floods your body, causing your blood vessels to stretch. Your bones stretch and compress. It...burns. It's like falling from a skyscraper and landing full force in acid." She hushed herself after that and drew her legs to her chest.  
  
"Even now, I think you're underexaggerating."  
  
"Have they categorized you as a Seer?" she asked, peeking over her knees.  
  
"Yeah, but I only see bits and pieces. I saw Moony's attack. I saw what happened to your parents the night of. And I kept seeing you getting hurt. Each time its seemed like you'd never be able to get up again."  
  
"The dragon saved me," she replied. "The power that I've been trying to enslave is the dragon's wild side. I did, and it saved me. Voldemort's torture proved effective. He had been right about the instincts. I'm not exactly human anymore, Jason. I'm turning into something between human and dragon. I'm not even warm-blooded anymore. I can speak Parceltongue. I have scales. I can breathe fire..."  
  
"Oh, yeah! You can breathe fire! Can I see?"  
  
Talk about ten-year-old at Christmas. Lilus leaned her head back and closed her eyes, and he could see her throat move as she swallowed. She opened her eyes and inhaled sharply, staring at the ceiling. Her lips parted and a jet of flame appeared six inches away from her face, shooting towards the ceiling. Jason backed away from the flame, shielding his eyes. Suddenly, the fire shrank back towards Lilus and nestled into the palm of her glove. The fireball shrank to about the size of a marble and bobbed up and down in her hand.  
  
"Dragons can control fire, did you know that? The ones that breathe fire anyway. It doesn't seem like it because usually they're using all the other weapons that are on their bodies. The power is incredible. At least it's understandable why Voldemort wanted me. I mean, Hogwarts itself can be destroyed by my power. I can kill everyone..." She extinguished the marble of fire.  
  
Jason lunged forward and grabbed her wrists, pinning her against the sofa. "NO! Do NOT talk like that! It's the Death Eater inside of you, Lilus! FIGHT IT! Please. For everyone that you've ever loved, fight it. Fight it for me. Fight it for Justin. Fight it for your father and mother. Fight it for Moony! Please! You can't let it consume you."  
  
He was trembling. He sat up and helped her sit up, the shocked expression fresh in her eyes. She rubbed her forehead and hid her face.  
  
"I'm...sorry."  
  
He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "Never talk like that again."  
  
She nodded. "It is the Death Eater in me, but Jason, it's a part of me. I can't deny it."  
  
"I know. I know."  
  
"Can I sleep down here tonight? I don't think I need to go upstairs."  
  
Jason nodded. "Yeah. I'll sleep in the chair."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"No problem, chica. Anything for you, love. I'm just glad you're back. The Seekers-in-training are becoming such a hassle."  
  
Lilus looked at him and laughed. "You've been training Kyle and Taylor?"  
  
Jason nodded. "Yeah, and no offense, but they aren't Bludger retarded."  
  
"You know why? Because I taught them not to be."  
  
Jason stood up and strolled over to the chair. "Well, I'm glad you did. Nick and Charlie have had a grand time TRYING to knock them out of the sky."  
  
"I'm glad you helped. Did they guys seem surprised that you could play Seeker as good as you did?"  
  
Jason nodded. "I don't think they noticed me watching you during the games and practice. I'm a fast learner."  
  
Lilus nodded. "Yeah, you are."  
  
She settled on the couch and watched Jason do the same in the chair.  
  
"One day, the Death Eaters will be gone. One day, the world will be safe again," she said in a drone just before she went to sleep. "I'll make sure it comes soon."  
  
"OH MY FUCKING GOD!"  
  
Lilus fell off of the sofa, rubbing her head when it hit the table. There was a loud thud as Diego hit the ground. Jason jumped out of the chair and ran over to see if the smaller boy was alright. He picked him off the stairway and put him in the chair.  
  
"Some wake up call. Lilus, are you okay?"  
  
She scrambled on the sofa and shook her head. "Good God. That is definitely not the way to wake up." She looked around. "Damn. I'm going to go down to breakfast. I want to get there early."  
  
Jason nodded. "Okay. What should I tell Diego when he arises from his morning nap of shock?"  
  
"Tell him he was seeing things." She stood up and ran to the door. "See you in a bit."  
  
She smiled and vanished.  
  
No one was in the hallway. She smirked and ran down the corridors as fast as she could. She was so back home. She was so here! It was an awesome feeling. The Great Hall was empty of course, except for the few house elves that were putting out the plates. She smiled and sat down at the seat that used to be hers. Then it hit her. This was all so new to her, yet so familiar. She hadn't eaten here in a long time. She hadn't been around in a long time.  
  
There were no teachers anywhere, but she knew they were all up and ready. She stood up again. It was all a cage. Hogwarts was just a cage. She wanted to be free. She wanted to go the way of the Dark Lord.  
  
"NO!" she cried, her voice echoing through the room.  
  
The house elves stopped moving and stared for a second before returning to their work. The tattoo that was on her back began to burn again. It was not unusual. It did that sometimes when she was thinking deeply. She walked around in a circle for a few minutes, then left the Great Hall.  
  
Lilus drew her hands down the hall, staring at the rough texture of the brick. Fifteen minutes passed slowly, just allowing her to take in what she had forgotten. She heard a small drone of sound, students. She carefully made her way back into the Great Hall, but by the time she got in there, students were pouring into it. Most were sitting, but she managed to squeeze in with a thin line of people. Her robes were draped around her, both hands gloved. She saw their usual sitting place at the table and began walking over to her old seat. Jason was sitting on one side, Justin on the other. A lot of people gasped and looked at her when she entered the room, and the people around her shrank away. Justin stood up, pointing at her with his mouth wide open. The Gryffindor Quidditch team stood up, even the replacement Seeker.  
  
She walked towards Justin and was immediatly knocked down as he strangled her in a back breaking hug. Those who had been on the other side of the table jumped over it. Lilus disappeared under a mound of people hugging her and crying.  
  
"Oh, my God! Lilus! You're alive!! We searched! We searched everywhere! But you were gone!"  
  
"Lilus!"  
  
"I knew I wasn't seeing things!"  
  
"You're alive!"  
  
"Thank GOD!"  
  
The crowd disappated, but Justin was squeezing the life out of his friend, crying pathetically. Jason sat back down and smiled, cracking his knuckles and leaning his elbows on the table. Justin was breathing harshly into her shoulder, wetting her robes with his tears. Shawn was rubbing her back, and the twins were hugging anything they could get to. Baker was sitting on the sidelines with Jason, also crying, but keeping it silent.  
  
"They pronounced you dead...and it was in the Prophet. You were dead...."  
  
"No Death Eater has the power to get rid of me, Justin. I'm still alive and me, although I don't look normal anymore."  
  
"Who cares what you look like? You're...not dead!"  
  
Justin, Jason, and basically the entire Quidditch team left the Great Hall and ate breakfast in their dorm. Many things were discussed, such as winning Quidditch. The game was in a little over two weeks, and their next practice happened to be tomorrow. Not many questions were asked about what happened, but the kidnapping was made clear. As was all the little tidbits that she had grown or developed.  
  
It felt good to be back to humanity. She had no classes, but she followed Jason, Shawn, Baker, Nick, and Charlie to their classes, waving at Snape whenever she entered the beloved Potions room. She scared all the teachers, but life had returned.  
  
"Albus?"  
  
Minerva figured he'd be in the library, but she didn't know she'd find him in this condition. He was huddled over a scroll that was obviously aged beyond its years. It had been mended so much with magic that the tears showed through, even if they did stay together. The scroll's writing was a such language that was unknown to Minerva herself, but Albus understood it fine. And he was trembling in cold sweat from it. His knuckles were white, and he was very pale.  
  
"Albus!?"  
  
"Minerva...Ms. Potter..." he whispered.  
  
"How long have you been in here?"  
  
Albus did his best to stand. "Tears of Crimson Blood. Given off by the victim of phantom possession. Unless phantom can be exorcised, the victim will die of blood loss or fatal mental delusions. Side effects: illusions, mirages, random attacks, random words, remarkable power, unpredictable behavior." His words came out slowly. "Should be contained." His words slid out of his mouth in a thick syrup. "Should be killed."  
  
The old woman squeaked. "Albus?"  
  
"Voldemort wouldn't die without Harry dead."  
  
"???"  
  
"He couldn't die unless Harry was dead. Now Harry is dead, but the prophacy has been passed on to Lilus...the last living Potter."  
  
Minerva's eyes grew large. "The prophacy...?"  
  
"It's Voldemort, Minerva. He's still alive..."  
  
"Oh...God..."  
  
The Headmistress fainted before Albus could catch her.  
  
She wanted to rejoin the Quidditch team. She really wanted to, but kicking out the newest members wouldn't be fair, especially after she had "deserted" for about a year. Instead, she spent her time with Jason practicing her own skill.  
  
She remained indoors during games, and Jason stayed with her. He was very reluctant for her to leave his sight, but he was always at Remy's office door first thing in the morning. Lilus was sleeping in there now in a bed very close to where Remus slept. Oh, did it feel good to be safe again.  
  
She had not seen Snid in the duration that she had been back, and Raphael had vanished as well. This she knew was for good reason.  
  
But she couldn't stay like this for long. There were too many secrets that he would know, but she could feel him creeping over her body every day, his reign on her senses tightening. For the most part, he was cooperative, but there were some instances when the only thing she controlled were the movement of her hands and eyes. Her mind still tried to function, but she was becoming part of the background, the machine that he controlled.  
  
She was afraid. There was so much that she had wanted to do, but she had forsaken the time she had to do them in. His will was slowly creeping over her body like rose vines. He spoke to her constantly, trying to justify what he was doing. It was always soft talk, like a real father to daughter. Not like when he was in front of all his flunkies. Why, she didn't know. She rather much preferred him yelling at her and torturing her with Crucio. At least then he was out of her body, and she could look upon his face.  
  
She wanted it to be over. Hell was a summer vacation compared to the mental stress that she endured. He would soon have her body as his own, and then, she would not be able to help herself...  
  
Then it would never be over.  
  
-Jason, when I give this to you, I need you to take it to Raphael Malfoy. Don't ask me questions about it, ever. Act as if I never gave it to you.  
  
-Please, Jason. I am being possessed by Voldemort.  
  
-He's taking over my body.  
  
-I'm writing this message with my eyes closed, and I hope that everything is legible.  
  
-Tell Raphael that Voldemort is moving faster than he thought.  
  
-Tell him that I will need his help.  
  
-I am no longer responsible for my actions.  
  
-He sees what I see. He hears what I hear. He tastes what I taste...  
  
-I cannot cast the spell. He will have to do it or get Snid to do it.  
  
-They will be coming in two weeks.  
  
-That's when it all will happen.  
  
-When it all unfolds.  
  
-Where the fate of the world will be decided.  
  
-Jason, in two weeks time, exactly, I will need you and Raphael to blindfold me in my sleep and carry me outside to the lake. Do not listen to my protests; they will not be mine. They will be his, Voldemort's.  
  
-Take me down to the lake and have Raphael or Snid of he comes to perform the exorcism spell on me.  
  
-You will have to hide Raphael when Voldemort comes out of my body. This is to protect his identity from being known.  
  
-He has helped me during this, and, Jason, I need your help now too.  
  
-Jason, please.  
  
-As soon as I give this too you, never mention it to me, because I can only hold off until I give this note to you. After this, I must surrender to this torture. I am so weak.  
  
-The blood tears are a sign that I am possessed.  
  
-If there is ever a doubt, make me cry.  
  
-Real tears are my only proof.  
  
-Jason, I beg of you. Believe me.  
  
-If you don't, Raphael will die, Hogwarts will become enslaved. Voldemort will tame my powers and use them against everything.  
  
-Help me.  
  
-Please, Jason.  
  
-I am at my most desperate right now.  
  
-Don't let me down.  
  
-Hunt Raphael down.  
  
-And show him this note.  
  
-And Snid if you can find him.  
  
-I will need all the help I can get.  
  
"Jason, oh God. She wrote this to you?!"  
  
He nodded, staring into beautiful blue eyes.  
  
"Did she give it to you with her eyes closed?"  
  
Jason nodded. "She was holding her ears too or trying to."  
  
Raphael rubbed his head and hid behind a book. "He's moving way too fast. I figured the first he'd be doing it would be next week."  
  
"What are we going to do?"  
  
"What she told us to do. We can't do anything else. We'll break into Professor Lupin's office and blindfold her and tie her up if we can. Take her wand away from her but keep it with you. We drag her down to the lake. I'll perform that spell on her, and you know...hide....and hopefully she can vanquish Voldemort herself."  
  
"What if she isn't strong enough?" A very serious face smoothed over Jason's normally clownish one. "What if she's not even conscious?"  
  
"Then we will have to help her the best we can with any healing and rejuvenation spells that we can.."  
  
Jason paled a little. "Yeah, that sounds very nice. Two teenaged punks against...what...the most evil being in this time era!? Does that sound fantasyish?"  
  
"Look, we have to make due. You are the bird boy, right? I'm not so helpless myself."  
  
Jason rubbed his head. "I only...what you told me before. I...so she's completely possessed now?"  
  
"Yes, act as if everything has gone normal. That's why she never wanted you to mention the note. She is protecting us. No doubt Voldemort knows she wrote something and gave it to someone. He's probably torturing her because if it."  
  
"Two weeks is too long. Why not sooner?" Jason whispered.  
  
Raphael cracked his knuckles. "The Death Eaters are to be in the Forbidden Forest in two weeks on Friday. Voldemort will use Lilus to take down Hogwarts. Then, he will spread, using her power to enslave everything. We have to be out there. We have to get him out of her body before he can join them. Once that happens, we will lose her permenantly."  
  
"So if she has no energy left and cannot fight, we'll die, right?"  
  
Raphael nodded. "Yeah, most likely."  
  
"Oh, I feel nice. Yeah, I'd love to die prematurely facing the greatest evil known to mankind trying to save my best friend and once sworn enemy..."  
  
"Hush. She won't most likely, possibly dazed, but she won't be down for the count if that's what you mean."  
  
Raphael hid behind a book as someone walked past them. Jason did the same, staring at the student's back as he passed by.  
  
"If we die, then how is that going to help Lilus? How is gonna help us at all? This is basically all depending on Lilus."  
  
"No, no, no. I'll use Avada Kedavra on Voldemort as soon as he's expelled, and then we can go from there. Surely we will attract some attention with Lilus kicking and screaming all the way outside."  
  
"Friday, Friday. What was special about Friday?"  
  
"It's a full moon, for one. You'll be a werewolf," Raphael said, propping his head onto his palm.  
  
"Oh, shit!" Jason cried loudly before hiding behind his book again. "I won't be able to control myself. I might attack the wrong party!"  
  
"No, Jason. You're too connected with Lilus. You'll attack whatever needs to be attacked."  
  
"I still don't feel so comfortable about this. There's too many things that can go wrong. And what about Justin? Justin cares a lot about her."  
  
"If that moron sees her get hurt, he'll lose his mind. It'll fuel your rage. That Weasley...shallow."  
  
"Shut the hell up. He's nicer to her than you ever were."  
  
"He is shallow!"  
  
"Shut the hell up!"  
  
"Fine!"  
  
"Okay, so Justin is out because you can't deal with it."  
  
The vein in Raphael's forehead was twitching, and his hair was slightly messy because of his hands running through it. It fell almost to his shoulders, and finally he just released it from the ribbon that had held it all back. He put his head down on the table and sighed.  
  
"Weasley will lose his mind if he sees Lilus being exorcised. If he even knows that she's been possessed all this time, he'll lose it. He saw her parents die, or so he claims, but if he sees her die, we'll never get him out of St. Mungo's."  
  
Jason growled lightly out of his throat but he nodded his head. "He's not shallow, though."  
  
Raphael twitched, but he ignored it. "You know what we have to do now? Bring your wand. There may be a possibility that we might have to disappear for a while, at least until it all blows over with the government. Unforgivable Curses aren't taken lightly nowadays, especially since the age of Harry Potter."  
  
"Ah, I have no family anyhow. Remus would probably join us if we asked him to."  
  
"There is no us. I cannot be seen with you anywhere. Its for my own safety. Death Eaters are everywhere, and no news must get to Voldemort that I've been helping."  
  
"What about if you looked like Alex?"  
  
Raphael froze and looked strangely across the table. "What?"  
  
"You know, dress like him, put your hair the way he does. Frame him."  
  
"That would be..."  
  
"Well, you want him out of your hair, right? If he gets in trouble with Voldemort, he won't get into that much shit. Voldemort likes him doesn't he?"  
  
Raphael cocked his head. "How do you know that?"  
  
"Lilus put some thoughts into my head when I was sleeping just before she came back."  
  
"Oh, I don't know. That's a good idea. I had never thought of that."  
  
"See! I'm not as stupid as you think I am."  
  
A strangled smile crossed the blonde's face, and Raphael just rubbed his head.  
  
"Would probably be better if Snid broke into Moony's office, you know what I mean? And dragged her outside?"  
  
The Slytherin nodded. "Yes, I will keep that in mind."  
  
Jason extended his hand over the table, and Raphael shook it.  
  
"Nice to have you on the team, even as discreet as you are," Jason said after retreating behind his book.  
  
"Nice to know I won't be werewolf food."  
  
Jason growled and involuntarily licked his lips at the mention of food. Raphael rolled his eyes and hid behind the book. A silence went between them for a few minutes, but hte American broke it.  
  
"Just...never hurt her, okay?"  
  
Raphael looked up from the old tome. "What?"  
  
"Never hurt her."  
  
Raphael smiled a little flash of a smile. "Ah, don't worry. She's on grounds of killing me right now. I'm pretty sure she would if I gave her reason to."  
  
Jason laughed quietly. "Nah, she won't. She knows you've risked your life to help her. That probably won you back a few brownie points."  
  
"Brownie points?"  
  
"Yeah, uh...like good deed merits or something."  
  
"Hmm, brownie points," Raphael said happily. "Ah, dammit, now I'm hungry."  
  
Jason snorted. "I've been hungry since the end of lunch, so shut up." 


	21. Feelings

Chapter 21

"Oh, look at that, it's the werewolf," came a familiar yet sickening voice.

Of course, they were talking about Jason who had been lingering just outside Moony's office for whatever reason. Jason looked at the end of the hallway and saw Alex, followed by four or five of his cute wittle thuggies. They wandered over to Jason and surrounded him, but Jason did little more than snarl.

"Ah, you short pain in my ass, go away before I puke," Jason growled, making a desperate gagging noise.

"That's no way to talk to a superior," Frenchy scolded.

Jason reached out and grabbed the shorter boy by the collar of his robes and slammed him against the wall.

"Let me tell you something, you little shit. If you so much as even come within eyesight of Lilus Potter, I'll kill you in the most painful way imaginable."

Jason was jerked off of Alex and thrown to the floor. He was standing in an instant, ready for more, but a wall had formed around the Slytherin.

"Werewolf, I suggest you play nice before you end up getting yourself hurt."

Jason just smiled. "Yeah, jerk off, I'm sure all your little buddies want to be turned into werewolves." He snapped his teeth a few times and the smirk widened. "Leave Lilus alone."

"That demon will be vanquished when the time is right."

"Yeah, but I wouldn't go telling her daddy about that, now would I?" the werewolf said with a smirk.

Alex got an extremely quiet look on his face. "You don't know your place, do you, American?"

"Well, I can say it's going to be a lot higher than yours, French fry."

Amused, Alex crossed his arms and smiled. "Ah, what makes you say that?"

Jason flashed his arms in front of him, trying to look mystical while also appearing dangerous. "I foresee a war to end all wars among wizards and witches alike. After it, there will be no more Death Eaters, no more Dark Lord. Your kind are going to be extinct."

"Ah, yes, you are a seer. Very well foretold, but I do believe the results are wrong. Farewell, Werewolf."

"Adios, loser."

He had tried to remain out of everyone's sight during the remaining two weeks, fourteen days, 336 hours, 20160 minutes, 1209600 seconds. Lilus he avoided at all costs at all times, even skipping classes to return with the false excuse of illness. He avoided his cousin at all costs, using the same method. He used every method available to stay out of sight.

Raphael Malfoy was the traitor of the Malfoy family, and some part of him hated that, but some part of him relished it. Letting his enemy's parents die was a strike below the belt, too harsh even for her, but she had been able to outlive most of it. Now, he figured what he was doing was making up for his silence on the two murders, although he knew he was lying to himself to say that was the only reason.

There was so much more to everything, it seemed. It all slowed down, moved to a halt. Whenever he thought of Lilus or even of Jason, he realized what he was looking at was just a face, and he knew that faces weren't always truthful. Jason had always been obnoxious, but there was an intelligent side to him, something he did not believe existed.

Thank God his cousin was not suspicious of him. Alexander had remained the center of the Slytherins' eyes, and Raphael had been left to himself. Everything seemed so frightfully close, even though there were ten days left. Lilus had not been acting strange, but there was just something about her eyes that seemed odd. They were too real. Too accepted.

And he knew that Voldemort was in control. Lilus was the distant shine in her dull eyes now. Whatever was said, he said it, whatever was done, he did it.

Raphael was afraid of Voldemort, but there were few Death Eaters that weren't. His father and grandfather were two of them. Voldemort was to be revered in holy silence, he was always told. Do as you were told and you would be fine, he was always told.

Voldemort had taken more than his family from him. He had instructed Draco to kill his mother, just to kill what few feelings Draco Malfoy had left. Lucius was entirely obedient to the wizard, and now, Raphael was rebelling against what he would soon turn into. He never wanted to be like his grandfather or his father. He wanted to be his own person, be himself.

Not Voldemort's lackey.

He would never be Voldemort's lackey.

Less than a week left.

Raphael had made it most of the way, but he was gradually becoming more nervous by the day. Alex knew something was up with him, even if he hadn't questioned him about it. Lilus had not changed at all, but Jason had kept his distance, complaining constantly of a stomach ache or migraine. That was probably the only change, but there was a lot in that change. Voldemort suspected something because of Jason's sudden abandonment, and no doubt Alex did also.

He looked at her now and remembered how she was. He had found it so incredibly hard to hate her, even though it had been in his family for two generations. Her eyes really weren't that red. They were more of a copper color, and he found them quite intriguing. When he got a good excuse not to pick on her anymore, he didn't.

He remembered the time when he first saw her again after the murders. He watched her as she struggled with herself, trapped in the violent prison of her mind. She had no will to live anymore. Everything she had ever known had been stripped away from her. That look in her eyes.

As soon as they made eye contact he ran. He barely made it to the bathroom in time to throw up his guts. Afterward, he sat in the bathroom for a long time. Such a long time, wondering what death would feel like. He didn't have a razor, but he drew his nails over the gentle part of his wrists, sometimes scratching sometimes tracing his veins.

He wanted to die on many occassions, but never had his feelings been so strong. How could he have let himself let that happen to her? How could he do that to her? Especially knowing about the feelings he had for her now. If he hadn't known them before, there was at least enough evidence to be suspicious of. Yet, why had he done that? How could he do that?

He thought it would be so easy to cut his wrists and watch his blood sleep along the tiles' edges. He thought it would be easy to lean against the wall and feel his life slowly drain from him. It was so enticing too. When he looked at his razor, it looked so pretty and kind. It looked so inviting. He remembered running his fingers over it, even cutting his middle finger along its blade. It felt good then, but the next day it hurt. He remembered how good it felt at the moment, how good it felt to see his blood slide down his finger. He watched it curiously, as if he had never seen his own blood before. It flowed in a one way path down his hand finally stopping to drip onto the floor.

But he wasn't brave enough for suicide. That's when he made that pact. The pact to help her escape the tormented circle that the Dark Lord had planned for her. Voldemort was a parasite, and he would always be a parasite.

After years of tormenting her as well as himself, he realized why he found it so hard to hate her. Was it because he didn't hate her? Sure, she had obnoxious friends, but her friends loved her. His friends admired him and feared him. They didn't love him. They wouldn't put their lives on the line for him. Jason would die for Lilus. There was no doubt about that. Jason had fought a werewolf for Lilus. Jason had smarted off to the Headmistress for Lilus. Raphael knew Jason loved her. He loved her beyond everything mortal. Beyond friends, beyond boyfriend and girlfriend, beyond marriage, beyond lovers. Beyond all imaginable was Jason's love for Lilus.

And Jason knew now. He knew that Raphael loved her too. Snid had been evidence enough to prove that. And he knew. He knew Snid's secret too. They all loved her. Snid had made his move. Jason knew his move could never be made now. Raphael could only watch her from a distance. Raphael kept that distance, and he watched her. He watched her as she and Jason flew around on brooms and threw the Quaffle to one another. He thought it very valient of her to forsake her Quidditch position to her underling. They would all die for her. They would all put their lives on the line for her, and they knew she would do the same for them.

Her hair was short. He liked it short. He liked to see it flick and swish with the wind. He liked to watch her smile. She was brave. She was someone worth protecting. Her strength was unimaginable. Able to survive the death of her parents when she loved them so dearly, able to survive what Hell her father had sent her through. She was stronger than he could ever hope to be, and it was for that reason that he wanted to protect her. There are things in this world more beautiful than one's life, and Raphael Malfoy believed that Lilus Potter was one of them.

Wouldn't his father be angry if he ever found out that his son had a crush on his enemy's daughter. Raphael wanted to chuckle at the thought. He didn't care what his father thought. He didn't care what his grandfather thought. He was Raphael Malfoy. He cared about what Raphael Malfoy thought.

He was almost ashamed to admit to himself that he had dreams about her, about them. He found them to be quite wonderful. The way she looked at him. The way they moved. He wanted more dreams like that. If he couldn't have her in real life, he wanted to keep her safe inside his dreams. He remembered how she felt against him, warm and soft, yet he felt like he was petting a tiger. His skin still tingled when he thought about it. He loved those dreams about her.

Raphael had been with other girls, even intimately, but he had never wanted them like he wanted her. He had never loved them. He used them like his father used his mother, and his grandfather used his grandmother. They were fuck toys, just there for his entertainment. That's what women were. Then he began to feel strongly about Lilus. Those feelings confused him at first, but as time went on, as the years went by, he found it harder and harder to hate her. When Alexander took over the Slytherin mob, Raphael felt a certain freedom follow with his isolation.

It was ironic where he found friends. Slytherins were never supposed to befriend Gryffindors. That was unimaginable. But he had loved one and found a friend in another. Wasn't it funny where allies lay? He had found a friend in Jason, as well as another point of view in Snid. He had found love in the strangest place, but it's the unexplored places of the world that people want to see. Lilus Potter. How odd would her name be if it were Lilus Malfoy? His father would disown him, but he didn't care. He wasn't afraid of poverty, although he wouldn't be in poverty. He would work if she was with him. He would work for her, and she would work for him. It was the equal standard.

She wasn't afraid of Voldemort. She spat in his face once, in front of every Death Eater in Europe. He remembered how he wanted to laugh, but he was too afraid of what was going to happen to her to laugh. Voldemort hit her so hard that it knocked her off her feet and off of his stand. She landed on the back of her neck, but Raphael learned that something that trival wouldn't kill her. At least not now that she had the dragon within her.

Voldemort would have never killed her. Not because she was his daughter. Merely because of the potential power he could harness within her. But she was no fool. She wasn't seduced by power. Once he recovered his body, he'd brainwash her to the best of his ability, and in a way, that was killing the woman that Raphael knew as Lilus Potter.

But Lilus Potter was a part of the world that made the world a better place to live in, and Raphael would die to keep her there. Jason would die to keep her there. Snid would die to keep her there.

And that's why he rebelled against tradition and stood before Death's door with the intention to knock. He just hoped that Death wouldn't answer.

Time moved so fast, yet time moved so slow.

But it was upon them suddenly.

That night...

They met outside of Moony's office. Snid had come with an invisibility cloak, and he and Jason had trekked to Remus Lupin's sleeping quarters, avoiding the army of cats that owned the castle at night. For a long time they waited, waited and whispered to each other.

"My stomach really hurts today..." Jason whispered, rubbing his forehead.

"Mine too. You got something to throw over her head? We have to get out of there fast, because Lupin will wake up."

"Yeah, I know. I'm a werewolf too."

There was more silence, but Jason's watch hadn't ticked to one yet.

"When are you just going to tell her? When all this is over if you can. You do know that she could die tonight, and you'll never get to tell her."

"Let's not discuss that now. Come on. It's time."

"But it's not one..."

"It will be by time we get her out there."

The door opened easily with a few Muggle tricks of Jason's and a spell of Snid's. Jason peered inside and first saw the office, then the stone block in the back that Moony had locked himself in. Jason entered quietly with the Slytherin, and both froze as they heard a growl from the stone prison. It was more or less a sigh of the older werewolf.

"Dude, I don't think I can make it outside..."

"You have to try, Jason. For Lilus, the real one."

They stole past the stone cell, spying the giant beast inside curled in a corner. The door that was to the right of the prison was the one that led to the bedroom where Remus had one bed on one side of the room, and Lilus had one bed on the other side of the room.

Lilus was sleeping just as they had expected, on her back, with one arm dangling off the bed. Jason held the cloth sack open, and Snid readied his wand. Jason threw the sack over Lilus's head, and she shot up in surprise, screaming wildly. Jason snatched her arms and held them behind her back, holding the sack on her head with a sleeper hold.

"MMmm! MMFfff!"

"Petrificus Totalus!"

Lilus froze and trembled, then her body went as rigid as a board. Jason and Snid heard a wild roaring in the next room. They had woken up Remus Lupin, and now the beast was wrecking havoc in his room. Jason lifted Lilus easily and carried the statue out of Moony's office.

"Run, Jason, run! Faster! We have to get her outside!"

Jason was running as fast as he could, and both of them were attracting quiet a few amount of Ms. Norris's brood. Filch would alert the teachers, and the teachers would follow.

The Courtyard doors were locked, but the glass was broken easily, and they were finally outside, running towards the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid's house was dark, but the commotion and that old mutt's barking had caused some sound from inside. Hagrid soon appeared at the door of his hut, and Fang burst from the door and was running helter skelter towards them.

Jason put Lilus on the ground.

"Amarc Nutinutus!" Snid yelled.

Instantly, the body bind on Lilus disappeared. Her body levitated vertical off the ground, and her arms shot straight out. Her head was tilted back, and the sack flew off. Her mouth was wide open, and there was a deep white light building in her throat.

"Oh shit!"

Jason dropped to the ground, holding his stomach. "I'm changing..! Ugh..."

Her fingers and toes were stretched to the max, and light began to build up on them as well. Suddenly, all the light was released. The sky flashed as the column of light hit it, the earth sparked and was set aflame. The rows of light from her hands went on seemingly forever. Finally, all the light converged into a single figure behind her, and she was dropped to the ground.

Jason's transformation was fast. His snout shot out of his head, filled with rows of daggers for teeth. His body sprouted the dark fur all over, and his clothes were ripped apart. His body spasmed and grew larger, and his tail finally poked itself out of his backside. He lay on the ground for a few seconds just twitching and growling, snarling, howling, making as much noise as he could. Snid rushed in and yanked Lilus away from Voldemort's ghost-like figure.

"Ugh..."

"Lilus, you have to wake up. Come on, girl!"

"Snid? Jason...?"

"Wake up!"

She continued to lay on the ground, but Voldemort's figure was becoming solid. He was finally dropped to the ground a few metres away, unarmed but entirely dangerous. Her body was limp and spasming, and Jason was crawling onto his feet.

"Jason...?" Lilus whispered, as her head wobbled in the direction of the raging animal.

"Jason! Get him!"

The werewolf looked furious, but the snarling disappeared as he watched the figure lying on the ground in front of the Ravenclaw.

-Lilus...

Instantly, the snarl returned, and the werewolf's head shot towards the robed man across from them. Lilus leaned on Snid, and he tried to help her stand, but her limbs were very weak, and her legs weren't cooperating.

-You...

Jason lunged for the wizard, three hundred pounds of bloodraging muscle, fur, claws, and teeth. Jason took a giant lunge into the air and came down hard against Voldemort. The beast was lifted upwards and thrown back, smashing into the ground.

Lilus had been watching her animalistic comrad, but a light from the shadows of the forest caught her attention. Then more lights appeared, and it took a long time for her eyes to focus on what they were. Snid looked at the forest as well, and he gasped.

"Death Eaters..."

Lilus watched a single robed man exit the shadows and come into the light of the full moon. Then another. Hagrid rushed towards them, Fang right behind him.

"What the hell yer doin?"

"Hagrid! The Death Eaters! Go wake up the professors in the castle!" Lilus croaked.

"Lilus, I ain't leavin you out ere!" said the great man as he held up his crossbow.

"HAGRID! GO!"

More robes came out of the forest, more figures, more shadows.

"Oh my God...there's more than a hundred of them..."

"Lilus, this is probably most of the Death Eaters alive," Snid whispered. "Transform, Lilus. It's the only way we can win this. Voldemort is still not capable of moving on his own. While he's immobilized, get rid of the Death Eaters!"

Lilus looked deep into his eyes and held onto his shoulders tight. "I don't know if I--"

Snid grabbed her shoulders tightly, almost fearfully and shook them.

"You have to try...please, Lilus. If you don't, everyone will die. If it isn't now, it will be later."

She pushed him away from her and fell onto the ground. Her hands widened and her body grew longer. Her arms became wings, and her legs fused together and were covered with scales. Her head gained a massive snout, and horns that could knock through the walls of Hogwarts. Eyes became bloodshot with the hunger for flesh, and teeth became more deadly than ever. Seventy feet of cold-blooded fury, flanked by a wizard and a werewolf, now faced 190 of the world's Death Eaters.

The giant beast reached forward and snatched the nearest Death Eater in her mouth, throwing his robed body into the air before grabbing him from it and swallowing him whole. Every man there instantly became very nervous, but most had not long to worry, because they were being plucked from the ground and thrown down the constricting throat of a seventy foot dragon with a vengeance. Death Eaters began to form groups and each and every non-lethal spell was used to try and stun the great animal, but there was no weakness in those scales. The dragon's tail began flailing forward, flattening large groups of Death Eaters instantly.

But then, suddenly, with roughly a third of them eaten and one-third of them crushed, the dragon stopped. With her wings, she lifted a single Death Eater off the ground and held him so close to her face that he could touch her teeth. She had seen those eyes before.

Draco Malfoy no longer wore the mask that covered his face. Draco Malfoy had killed her parents. Draco Malfoy was inches from death.

Draco Malfoy was his dad.

"So, you finally know, Lilus?" said Voldemort.

Draco Malfoy was not killed because of Raphael Malfoy. The dragon slowly shrank in size, and Draco was placed unharmed on the ground. Jason was unconscious on the ground, and Snid was the same. Now it was just Lilus Potter.

"I will kill you," she said, her eyes narrowing into deep slits.

"Not in your lifetime, wench," Draco said simply, turning to face Voldemort.

At about this moment, a horde of teachers rushed out of the castle, armed with wands and clad in night clothes. Lilus walked towards Voldemort and stared at him.

"I hate you."

Voldemort did not say anything.

"Avada Kedavra!" she cried, her wand pointed straight at Voldemort's chest.

Almost as soon as she said that, flashes of light came from all over the remaining Death Eaters, and that light struck him before her green light did. The figure was thrown into the air and disappated right before her eyes.

And she uttered the spell once more time, to the teachers' horror, with the wand aimed at herself. The bright green light danced across the two figures, and Lilus's body fell. Voldemort was no where to be seen, and the Forest's edge only sported dark shadows between the trees where the Death Eaters had once been. 


End file.
